Today, several residents and businesses in the Croix-Rousse neighborhood (the 1st and 4th arrondissements) and the 6th arrondissement of Lyon were surprised to receive in their letter boxes or under their doors a letter[1] presented under the heading of the Minister of the Interior and the Management of the Territory and [apparently] emanating from the Commissariat of the First Arrondissement and the Regional Office of Intelligence.

A surprising letter, which immediately alerted those who are attentive, who had easily detected the fakery: the "Minister of the Interior and the Management of the Territory" no longer exists and has been been replaced by the "Minister of the Interior, Overseas and the Territorial Collectivities"!

A letter that -- and this is not harmless -- arrived in letter boxes the day before a demonstration planned for 6:30 pm at the Place des Terreaux and organized in the framework of a national day of demonstrations against "Edvige."[2]

The letter informed its readers that,

"in the framework of setting up EDVIRSP (formerly known as EDVIGE), instituted by decree on 29 September 2008, the Commissariat of the First Arrondissement will be inventorying the people who live in Lyon. You must report to the Commissariat within the next week,"

or make contact with the Commissariat of the First Arrondissement. The second, quite "suspicious" point: the centralization upon the Commissariat of the First Arrondissement of all the people of Lyon for this pseudo-census.

In a statement to the press, the Prefecture of the Rhone formally denied the existence and the sending of such a letter. An investigation has been begun by the police services of the Departmental Office for the Public Security of the Rhone, on the orders of the Lyon District Attorney's Office, with the intent of determining the origin of the fake and exposing its authors.

[1] Translator's note: the text of the letter was as follows:

In the framework of setting up EDVIRSP (Documentary Exploitation and Valorization of the Information Relative to Public Security), formerly known as EDVIGE, instituted by decree on 29 September 2008, the Commissariat of the First Arrondissement will be inventorying the people who live in Lyon. This census will take place in three stages: from the 16th to the 23rd of October 2008; from the 24th to the 31st of October 2008, and finally from the 1st to the 8th of November 2008. Everyone living in Lyon will be effected.

At the time of your appearance at the Commissariat within the framework of this census that relates to public safety, a Divisional Commissioner will determine with you if a short interview will be necessary to record the information concerning you.

People whose individual or collective activities indicate that they could harm public safety, as well as those who make administrative inquiries (applying for jobs in public administration), will have have their personal information recorded.

For the people concerned, the following will be entered into the database: photographs, civil status, profession, address, telephone number, email address, vehicle registrations and judicial records, as well as -- to the extent that the individual belongs to one of the two categories mentioned above -- their racial or ethnic origins, political opinions and/or union membership.

Your home is situated in the sector affected by the first phase (from the 16th to the 23rd of October 2008). Thus, you are invited to appear within the next week at the Commissariat of the First Arrondissement, 5 place Sathonay, 69001 Lyon, during office hours.

If it is impossible for you to appear during the indicated period, please make contact with the Commissioner so as to arrange the modalities of your interview: 04.78.28.11.87 or 04.72.00.98.13.

We thank you for your participation in this national inventory campaign that relates to public safety.

[2] Translator's note: for more information, see the two texts that were published in anticipation of a demonstration against data collection, inspections and video surveillance held in Lyon on 16 October 2008.

(Appeared in Au fil de Lyon on 15 October 2008, and translated into English by NOT BORED! 17 November 2009.)