Chirac Defers Action on Other Bills in Wake of Riots

Premier Jacques Chirac, chastened by a political defeat at the hands of French students, slowed the pace of all his remaining legislation Tuesday, saying that “a pause is necessary in government action.”

A day after withdrawing the university reform bill that had sent students into the streets in massive protests, Chirac assembled the conservative and center-right deputies of his parliamentary coalition and informed them that he has canceled plans for a special session next month of the National Assembly.

A deputy who attended the closed session passed on to reporters Chirac’s remark about a legislative pause.

The delay would postpone consideration of two other controversial pieces of legislation until the next regular session in April. One bill would make it more difficult for children of immigrants to obtain French nationality. The second would create privately operated prisons in a move to relieve inmate overcrowding.

The pause was welcomed publicly by President Francois Mitterrand, a Socialist, who told a nationwide radio audience that he had advised Chirac to withdraw the university bill. Mitterrand said that Chirac, in doing so, has pursued “an attitude of wisdom.” He said Chirac’s decision has come “in time--a little late, but in time.”

Demonstration Set for Today

Despite their victory, student leaders repeated their call for a mass demonstration in Paris this afternoon. The demonstration, the leaders said, will protest the death of Malik Oussekine, a 22-year-old student beaten by the police.

Most French labor unions said they will join the demonstration, but it was not clear how many union members will follow an earlier call by the students for a protest strike.

On the eve of the protest march, Mitterrand defended the students’ behavior in three weeks of protests, strikes and demonstrations. Three of the demonstrations ended in violence.

“There was no violence on the part of the youth,” Mitterrand said. “You must distinguish between the youth, the students and the agents of violence and brutality. The young people were not violent. . . .

Police in ‘Difficult Position’

“The police were in a difficult position. They were tired. . . . The violence was the work of the fanatics of violence and death. But Malik’s death showed that there was mutual incomprehension. The police did not always distinguish.”

Mitterrand’s remarks lent support to a widespread theory that most of the violence in the demonstrations was caused by outsiders. Some press reports insist that these outsiders were right-wing elements intent on discrediting the student demonstrations.

Students protested the university bill because they believe it would have made universities more selective and elitist and lessened their chances for graduation. Mitterrand gave their position support when he said, in the radio interview, that France needs more students in its universities, not fewer.