The Palestinian Authority on Friday denied it has banned protests related to events in Egypt and Tunisia, saying all authorised protests would be permitted.
A spokesman for the Palestinian security forces had Thursday declared in a statement that all protests related to Egypt or Tunisia, no matter which side they supported, were banned, DPA reported.
"Palestinian security has banned assemblies linked to the events, in support of one party or another, because the policy of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority (PA) is non-interference in the internal affairs of Arab or foreign countries," spokesman Adnan Damiri said.
But on Friday, PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib told the German Press Agency dpa there was no ban on protests. He was speaking in a telephone interview from France, where he is accompanying Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on a visit.
Earlier in the week, the PA broke up several small-scale demonstrations in the West Bank city of Ramallah in support for the Egyptian people. Only one demonstration by about five people supporting Egypt's embattled President Hosny Mubarak was allowed.
"There is no decision against demonstrations and expressing an opinion," Khatib said, explaining the PA was not happy with the way protesters had been treated by the security forces.
He stressed the PA had given permits to two demonstrations planned for Saturday in Ramallah and Bethlehem in support of the Egyptian protesters' drive for reforms and social justice.
Several Palestinian political groups have called on their supporters to join the two demonstrations.