I think it was planned, but the electrocution ended up bringing them out en masse.
If you look back to last week, the protests were even encouraged from the US:
Bay Area Sikhs protest French ban on turbans in schools
http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=4044508&nav=9qrx
Breaking
Fire in Petronas Towers
SkyNews ^ | 11.4.05
Posted on 11/04/2005 9:17:16 AM PST by mhking
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1515706/posts