BASTIA, Corsica – French police commandos swooped onto the deck of a ferry seized by striking unionized sailors in the Mediterranean Sea, recapturing the vessel Wednesday and steering it back toward France.
The commandos slid down ropes from five helicopters onto the Pascal-Paoli in the dramatic morning operation off the coast of Corsica island.
A few minutes later, the ferry changed course back toward mainland France under helicopter escort. France-3 television reported that about 30 sailors were handcuffed on a lower deck.
Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie congratulated the commandos for “perfectly” completing their mission. Officials said no violence was involved.
Unionists angry over government plans to privatize troubled state-run ferry operator SNCM commandeered the ship Tuesday and steered it toward Corsica.
Butler Capital Partners, the private investment firm picked by the government to take over SNCM, said 350 to 400 jobs might be lost in the privatization.
Shortly before the police assault, union leader Alain Moscini told France-Info radio: “We are not warriors, as we are only fathers of families and have lived until today in dignity. We will be arrested with dignity.”
French prosecutors filed a hijacking complaint against the strikers – a charge punishable by 20 years imprisonment, media reports said.
When the ship arrived off the Corsican coast late Tuesday, about 1,000 people swarmed into the port of Bastia, and clashes erupted between protesters and police.
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