Police to watch Paris protest amid fears of new violence

Paris police have banned a high-stakes union protest because they fear they can not ensure security after a children’s hospital was damaged and many injured at a recent march.

The authorities had initially threatened to ban Thursday’s march, but the government agreed to let it proceed in a restricted area.

The Paris protesters marched along the 1.6 kilometre (1-mile) route, singing and shouting slogans like “No amendment, no negotiation!”

Many owners of boats and barges that are usually moored in the basin have moved them out of harm’s way to the nearby Canal Saint Martin.

The threat of a demonstration ban – which would have been the first in 54 years – only deepened the rancour between the government and unions who accuse Hollande and Prime Minister Manuel Valls of flouting democratic values.

Around 100 people were barred from Thursday’s march, and police seized motorcycle helmets, scarves and other objects that could be used to hide protesters’ identities. The CGT and Force Ouvriere unions responded with a statement demanding an immediate meeting with Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve. France is under a state of emergency following last November’s terror attacks.

Two police officers were hospitalized, while another 26 were injured.

Ahead of the latest march, workers hammered plywood onto the glass panels of bus stops around the Place de la Bastille to prevent new breakage. He called for a massive demonstration to express discontent with the government-led labour reform.

Opinion polls show two in three French voters are unhappy with the bill, which has already been watered down and is being debated by the Senate after Valls forced it through the lower house without a vote in the face of a ruling party rebellion.

The bill has prompted months of protests that often degenerate into violence by small groups of extremist demonstrators clashing with tear gas-spraying riot police.

Hardline unions have vowed to keep up the pressure until their demands to further revise the bill are met.

Hollande on Thursday told reporters that his government will continue to push through labor reform legislation, which is expected to make hiring and firing employees easier.

The proposed labour reforms are aimed at making the job market more flexible and reducing high unemployment.

“It’s crucial to help businesses hire more and allow more training for people who are least likely to find a job”, he said.

The law eases conditions for laying off workers, which is strongly regulated in France.

Other protests also took place in France’s major cities to oppose the government’s bill to make France’s 35-hour workweek longer and layoffs easier, which is now being debated in the Senate.