Man with extremist ties in brief standoff near Paris protest

PARIS – A man with extremist links was briefly holed up inside a Paris home near a march expected to draw thousands of labour protesters.

Paris police say a doctor who arrived at the home to take the man to a psychiatric hospital sounded the alarm Thursday. French media said the man, whose identity has not been released, is believed to have a knife and a tear gas bomb. Police say they have overpowered him but there was no sign yet of police and the man leaving the building.

The standoff took place about a block from the Bastille, where a labour march was to start within an hour.

Fears of attacks by Islamic extremists have left France on edge.