Amazon Protests: Retail Giant Slammed In France For Its Record On Climate Change, Jobs

French protesters gathered Tuesday at the sites of Amazon (AMZN) accusing the e-commerce giant of not doing enough to combat climate change and for slowing job growth.

Around 240 protesters gathered at Amazon's main office in Paris, with smaller demonstrations at Amazon locations in the northern city of Lille and the southern city of Toulouse.

The protesters believe that carbon dioxide emissions stemming from Amazon's international logistics system are harming the environment. They are also voicing their concerns about Amazon's policy of throwing away unsold goods.

Amazon recently announced plans to create 1,800 jobs in France by opening offices in Metz, Lyon and the southern Paris suburb of Bretigny.

Alma Dufour, a campaigner with Friends of the Earth, an environmental organization at some of the protests, hopes to stop this expansion.

"We have to be radical with our demands," Dufour said. "There are no little steps left to take when it comes to climate change. We want a transformation of the system."

Charlotte Grunberg, a spokesperson for the Friends of the North Land group and ANV-Cop 21 environmental organizations, told Radio France Internationale (RFI) at a protest in Lille that "Amazon promotes overproduction" and that it "destroys three million unsold products a year."

France also has a history of opposing globalization and the expansion of major international companies. The country has a famous policy called the "French cultural exception," where the state protects French products, such as cars, against global industry.

In 2017, anti-globalization and trade protectionist candidate Marine Le Pen mounted a strong effort in the presidential election against eventual winner Emmanuel Macron.

Amazon currently has about 20 different locations in France. The company is the e-commerce leader in the European country, where it holds 17.3% of the market.