How to fix remote: GitLab: You are not allowed to force push code to a protected branch on this project in Git

First, confirm that the branch you're pushing to is protected:

1. Go to your GitLab project
2. Navigate to Settings > Repository
3. Expand Protected branches
4. Look for your branch (e.g., main, master) in the list

If the branch appears in the list, it's protected and force pushes are blocked by default.

If you have Maintainer or Owner role and need to enable force push:

1. Go to Settings > Repository > Protected branches
2. Find the protected branch you need to modify
3. Click Unprotect to remove protection, or
4. Click the branch name to edit settings
5. Toggle Allowed to force push to enable force pushes for specific roles

Note: You need at least Maintainer role to change protected branch settings.

For GitLab Premium/Ultimate:
You can set granular permissions allowing only certain users or groups to force push while keeping the branch protected for others.

Instead of force pushing, consider safer alternatives:

Option A: Create a new branch and merge

git checkout -b fix-branch
git push origin fix-branch
# Create a merge request in GitLab

Option B: Revert commits instead of rewriting history

git revert <commit-hash>
git push origin main

Option C: Use `--force-with-lease` (still blocked on protected branches, but safer)

git push --force-with-lease origin main

This only forces if the remote hasn't changed since you last fetched, preventing accidental overwrites.

If you must force push (e.g., removing sensitive data from history):

1. Go to Settings > Repository > Protected branches
2. Click Unprotect next to the branch
3. Perform your force push:

git push --force origin main

4. Immediately re-protect the branch by clicking Protect and configuring the original settings

Warning: While the branch is unprotected, anyone with push access can force push or delete it. Keep the unprotected window as short as possible.

If you can't find protection settings at the project level, check higher-level settings:

Group-level protected branches (GitLab Premium):
1. Go to your group
2. Navigate to Settings > Repository > Protected branches
3. Group-level protections override project settings

Instance-level (GitLab administrators only):
- Contact your GitLab administrator
- Instance-wide push rules may block force pushes across all projects

Push rules (GitLab Premium):
1. Check Settings > Repository > Push rules
2. Look for "Reject unsigned commits" or custom rules that might block your push

If you don't have permission to modify protected branch settings:

1. Contact a project Maintainer or Owner
2. Explain why you need to force push (e.g., removing secrets, fixing corrupted history)
3. Ask them to either:
- Temporarily unprotect the branch while you push
- Perform the force push on your behalf
- Add you to the allowed force push list (Premium feature)

For compliance-sensitive projects, you may need to create a merge request documenting the history change instead.