French unions allowed protest march in Paris on Thursday

The unions opposing labor reform of the French government were finally allowed to demonstrate on Thursday in Paris, after the march was banned on Wednesday for security reasons, but with a different itinerary proposed by France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

The clash over labor reform between seven unions and the government, and in particular Prime Minister Manuel Valls, has seen lots of arguing until Cazeneuve allowed the new route.

The general secretaries of the General Confederation of Labour, Philippe Martinez, and Workers’ Force, JeanClaude Mailly, announced to the press the compromise, which authorized them to march from Bastille square through the Arsenal canal, toward the Seine and back to Bastille.

Three hours earlier, the police had banned the demonstration initially proposed by the unions, which had refused to accept a simple gathering as the interior ministry wanted, claiming the need to avoid altercations as in previous demonstrations.