'French Spider-Man' scales Paris skyscraper in support of pension strikers

Alain Robert, the free climber dubbed the "French Spider-Man", on Monday started scaling the Tour Total, a 48-storey skyscraper in Paris' La Defense business district, to show support for workers striking against pension reform. The 57-year-old has climbed more than 100 structures including the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the world's tallest building, the Burj al Khalifa in Dubai.

Robert often climbs without permission and has been arrested on numerous occasions. He climbs without a harness, using only his bare hands, a pair of climbing shoes, and a bag of powdered chalk to wipe off the sweat. For more than a month, France has been mired in strikes over President Emmanuel Macron's push to streamline the pension system.

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