France: university students continue strikes

Many of France's 84 universities are now on strike and blockaded, Rouen, Nantes,Tours, Tolbiac (Paris 1), La Sorbonne Clignancourt, Lille I et III, Rennes II, Toulouse, Perpignan, Caen (Lettres et Sciences), Nanterre, Montpellier I, II and II, Pau, Aix, Lyon II, Metz, Limoges, Nancy and Paris VIII. Some universities have strikes with no blockades, Le Havre, and Toulouse Rangeuil. Some universities have agreed other action Grenoble, Dijon, Lorient and Rennes I. The national coordination meeting that was held over the weekend has advised students to extend the struggle. The main tactic suggested was to block train stations tomorrow, strike committees or AG at 13 universities will blockade stations and only two universities have said that they will not. The rail-workers strike is due to begin tomorrow evening at 8pm. Solidarity actions will be important as if the students unite with the other strikers across France then the level of pressure on Sarkozy will be immense.

Some updates

Rennes II, which was at the forefront of the anti-CPE movement, voted that a blockade was a condition of strike action and also voted to strike until the repeal of the law. According to some reports there were 5000 at the AG although this is unconfirmed. There is an occupation and students will blockade Rennes Station tomorrow.

Rouen, the first university to go on strike, voted to continue strike action in the humanities departments until Thursday at an AG attended by 1200. The STAPS department voted to strike until Wednesday and the law and medicine departments are holding AG tomorrow.

Lille I, 1100 out of 2000 voted to continue strike action.

Dijon will vote tomorrow. Filtered barrages were set up on campus today: "At each entrance block all but one door using tables, militants will be at the doorway distributing leaflets and discussing the situation with the students coming in. In this way" This tactic has been succesful on other campuses.

Nanterre, the blockade was lifted this morning by around 100 police, little teaching took place in most buildings and the AG voted 900 to 500 to continue strike action.

Perpignan, on strike and blockaded, students are planning to join the strikers on Wednesday.

Lyon II voted to maintain the strike and blockade until Monday at an AG with 1000 present.

An unrelated movement against the Sarkozy government today saw 50 members of the Montreuil collective occupy part of the prefecture in Bobigny today in protest at the immigration system and in support of Kébé Talibé who is threatened with deportation.