This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

311700Z Mar 06

UNCLAS PARIS 002127 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR EUR/WE, DRL/IL, INR/EUC, EUR/ERA, EUR/PPD, 
AND EB 
DEPT OF COMMERCE FOR ITA 
DEPT OF LABOR FOR ILAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CASC ELAB EU FR PINR SOCI ECON
SUBJECT: IMPROMPTU "SMS GRAPEVINE" DEMONSTRATIONS BY 
STUDENTS AS FRANCE WAITS FOR CHIRAC'S INTERVENTION IN 
CONFRONTATION OVER CPE 
 
REF: A. (A) EMBASSY PARIS SIPRNET DAILY REPORT FOR MARCH 
 
        31 
     ¶B. (B) PARIS 2095 AND PREVIOUS 
 
¶1.  (U) During the day of March 31, most university and high 
school students who have mobilized against the Villepin 
government's First Employment Contract (CPE) (ref A) took in 
the news of President's Chirac's likely promolugation of the 
controversial law (ref B).  Some however, engaged in a range 
of impromptu demonstrations and protest actions -- blocking 
traffic, parading through railroad stations and the like -- 
in cities throughout France, including Paris.  In Paris, 
students packed a few subway trains to the breaking point and 
sent riot police scurrying from one part of the city to 
another in an effort to keep up with the protean, shifting 
nature of this novel form of political activity. 
 
¶2.  (U) One suburban rail line was blocked for a brief time, 
and there was a cortege of few hundred students who marched 
from the Paris City Hall to the Bastille and staged a sit-in 
there.  Another group of about a hundred and fifty students, 
headed towards the Place de la Concorde near the Embassy, 
were diverted by police into a nearby park.  As of late 
afternoon local time March 31, there are reports of such 
actions, in addition to Paris, in Marseille, Toulouse, Nice, 
Dijon and Strasbourg.  Nothing in current media reports and 
information from RSO police contacts indicates that these are 
more than minor and largely peaceful disturbances, each 
involving less that a few hundred students, so far. 
 
¶3.  (U)  The student associations and leftist "student 
unions" that purport to be leading the protest in France's 
university and high school systems, late on the afternoon of 
March 31, called for "mass gatherings" at central squares in 
cities and towns throughout the country at 7:30 PM tonight -- 
half an hour before President Chirac is scheduled to address 
the nation on the next steps he plans to take in regard to 
the CPE controversy (ref A).  It remains to be seen if the 
gatherings will draw large numbers of these "pre-positioned" 
protestors.  In addition, it remains to be seen whether the 
course of action advocated by the President will placate the 
restiveness of these students, or, alternatively, kindle a 
renewed impetus for protest activity of some kind.  Police 
authorities, as always, worry about the unpredictability of 
large crowds, should such crowds materialize pursuant to this 
call for "mass gatherings."  The impromptu protest actions 
that have taken place yesterday and today have been confined 
to students, and have not been infiltrated by hooligans. 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶4.  (U) The smaller protest actions by students that took 
place yesterday and today, and the potentially larger one 
called for this evening, are clear evidence of the way the 
students' anti-CPE protest movement is largely held together 
by leaderless activity on internet blogs and SMS messaging 
nets.  Police intelligence officials are well aware of this 
activity and try to monitor it.  End Comment. 
Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 
 
Stapleton