Strikes that shut down roads and public transit are common here, and now the cattle dealers have got into the act. A short strike Jan. 8 shut down the Peripherique circling Paris and backed up traffic on various autoroutes some 90 miles. The protesters were demanding compensation for losses incurred because of the mad cow disease scare. They have threatened to shut down all of the country’s slaughterhouses in the coming days, and more strikes that affect travel could occur.
