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A Glance around France: Animal bones in Paris police water canons and an earthquake in the Alps

The Local France
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A Glance around France: Animal bones in Paris police water canons and an earthquake in the Alps
Photo: AFP

Here's a look at some of the main stories from around France on Monday.

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Paris
 
It seems the name water canon might be a deceptive one... at least when it comes to those used during the May 1st demonstrations in Paris. 
 
A new report has revealed the rather than just water, protesters were lashed with a combination of dried blood, crushed bone and powder made from cattle hoof.
 
This unpleasant mixture was found in at least one water cannon used to disperse the demonstrators during the traditional May 1st demonstrations in spring. 
 
But while it certainly sounds disgusting, with protesters unsurprisingly complaining of the smell, the police have said that the mixture "is not bad for the health". 
 
 
Burgundy
 
There were some disgruntled employees at the General Electric factory on Monday morning. 
 
Some 40 staff members blocked the entrances to the site at 5 am in an attempt to push management into hiring more staff on permanent contracts to help with the increasing workload. 
 
 
 
Dordogne
 
Hunters in the Dordogne had a nasty shock this weekend after finding more than they bargained for in the woods. 
 
A man's corpse was found by a group of hunters on Saturday in a forest near the town of Villefranche-de-Lonchat in the Dordogne. 
 
The body of the victim, who has not been identified so far, was found "mummified, curled up on itself, knees raised (...) on the back, hands raised, as if it had dropped," said a local newspaper.
 
Police have opened an investigation after saying there may have been foul play. 
 
 
Burgundy 
 
A group of thieves took on an unusual job... robbing a French peage. 
 
Armed with an iron bar, a group of four or five thieves demolished one of the road barriers before stealing two boxes of money. 
 
They managed to escape on the A36 motorway in the Doubs and so far remain at large. 
 
 
French Alps
 
Residents of a village in the French Alps got a bit of a shock on Monday morning when an earthquake measuring 2.7 on the Richter scale shook an area near Epierre. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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