>1968 Student Riot in Paris
French students took to the streets, bringing Paris to a virtual standstill. Fighting broke out between the students and the police. The students had allied themselves with workers who went out on a general strike to protest wages. They seized factories, paralyzing the country. When the minimum wage was raised by 35 percent, the workers were satisfied and the government was able to restore order.
The French riots of 1968, also known as the May 1968 events, represent a pivotal moment in modern French history. During this period, a series of massive protests, general strikes, and occupations rocked the country, bringing the French economy to a standstill and nearly causing the collapse of the government. These events involved students, workers, intellectuals, and various political groups, who were united in their opposition to the conservative policies of President Charles de Gaulle and the broader social and economic structures of post-war France.
The unrest began in late April 1968, when students at the University of Paris-Nanterre staged a protest against the closure of the university's sociology department. The protest quickly escalated, leading to violent clashes between students and police. The university administration responded by shutting down the campus, which further inflamed tensions and led to additional protests and occupations at other universities across France.
The student protests were fueled by a variety of factors, including dissatisfaction with the rigid educational system, opposition to the Vietnam War, frustration with the lack of job prospects for young people, and a broader sense of alienation from the conservative values and institutions that dominated French society. The protesters sought to challenge the status quo and create a more open, democratic, and participatory society.
As the student protests spread, they began to resonate with the broader French population, particularly among workers who were grappling with their own grievances related to low wages, poor working conditions, and limited job security. In early May, a series of strikes and factory occupations broke out across the country, involving millions of workers from various industries. These actions were initially spontaneous and decentralized but eventually came under the leadership of the major trade unions, which sought to negotiate with the government for improved wages and working conditions.
The scale and intensity of the protests and strikes took the French government by surprise. President de Gaulle initially attempted to maintain a hardline stance, deploying police and military forces to suppress the unrest and refusing to negotiate with the protesters. However, as the situation continued to deteriorate, and it became apparent that the government's authority was under threat, de Gaulle changed course and began to make concessions.
On May 24, de Gaulle announced a series of reforms aimed at addressing some of the protesters' demands, including increased funding for education, the decentralization of government power, and the promise of a national referendum on further political and social reforms. However, these measures were widely seen as inadequate, and the unrest continued.
Faced with the prospect of a full-scale revolution, de Gaulle made a dramatic move on May 30, dissolving the National Assembly and calling for new elections. This decision effectively defused the crisis, as it forced the various political factions to focus on the upcoming elections rather than continuing to support the protests and strikes. The announcement of the elections led to a gradual decline in the intensity of the unrest, and by mid-June, the strikes and protests had largely subsided.
In the aftermath of the May 1968 events, the French political landscape was significantly altered. Although de Gaulle's party, the Gaullists, emerged victorious in the June elections, the events of May had exposed deep fissures within French society and revealed the limits of de Gaulle's authority. De Gaulle would go on to resign in 1969, after a failed referendum on regionalization and Senate reform.