FRENCH COMMANDOS RECLAIM HIJACKED VESSEL
28 September 2005

French commandos have stormed and retaken a ferry hijacked by striking union workers. The vessel, which carries cargo and passengers, was hijacked in Marseilles and taken to the port of Bastia, in Corsica. The hijackers were reportedly protesting the privatization of a beleaguered state-run ferry operation, which process would cause them to lose jobs, benefits and civil protections.

News agency AFP reports that some 50 "black-clad" commandos boarded the Pascal Paoli. Within about 10 minutes, the government forces had secured control of the vessel.

The hijackers were reported to be about 30 "masked but unarmed" members of the Union of Corsican Workers. There were no passengers on board when the Pascal Paoli was seized.

The turmoil began when word spread that the shipping company which employs the workers could be sold to a private investment company, raising fears of job insecurity and other cutbacks. Demonstrations were staged at Marseilles, where masked protesters blockaded the entrance to the shipping port. Police used tear gas to disperse the demonstration, which sparked an escalation in tensions between the workers and the state. [For more: BBC]