At that time Cazeneuve noted that Uber's defiance in telling its driver's to ignore the ban was "a criminal offense." Uber's local general manager said that it would continue to operate in France until the country's high court forbid it from doing so, even after police were given the order to seize vehicles if necessary. While UberPOP was banned in France earlier this year, an appeals court said it could continue to operate until the final decision was handed down in September. Today's arrests don't appear to be directly linked to the protests, but are reportedly part of France's on-going investigation. However, recent events may have provided a reason to expedite the proceedings.