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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| France labour dispute: Ban on Paris protest 'lifted' | France labour dispute: Ban on Paris protest 'lifted' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A French union says it has secured the government's agreement to allow a protest march on Thursday in Paris. | A French union says it has secured the government's agreement to allow a protest march on Thursday in Paris. |
| If confirmed, it would reverse a police statement earlier on Wednesday banning the demonstration. | If confirmed, it would reverse a police statement earlier on Wednesday banning the demonstration. |
| Philippe Martinez, the head of the left-wing CGT union, said the ban had been lifted after an emergency meeting with the interior minister. | |
| Police had insisted any rally would have to be stationary, citing violence at a Paris protest last week. | Police had insisted any rally would have to be stationary, citing violence at a Paris protest last week. |
| But the ban elicited a furious reaction, with union leaders and many Twitter users pledging to defy it. | |
| "After tough talks with the interior minister, the union and student organisations obtained the right to demonstrate on a route proposed by the interior ministry," Mr Martinez told a news conference. | |
| The agreed route will cover 1.6km (one mile) near the centre of the French capital, AFP news agency reported. | |
| Clashes | |
| The march is the latest in a series of mass demonstrations and strike action against controversial changes to employment laws. | |
| But violence has marred previous protests. On 14 June, hundreds of masked protesters threw chunks of paving and set cars ablaze and a children's hospital in central Paris was badly damaged. | |
| Police responded with tear gas and water cannon, and dozens of officers were injured. | |
| In their earlier statement, the Paris police department said the police, who have the task of providing security for the Euro 2016 football championship and countering the threat of terrorism, were under too much pressure to allow the march to proceed. |