PARIS — Alain Robert, the free climber dubbed the “French Spider-Man,” on Monday started scaling the Tour Total, a 48-story 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. 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. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by Richard Lough and Giles Elgood)

Source: National Post January 13, 2020 10:07 UTC