Strike

In 1968, May 2, at the height of the Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution, when French newspapers every day brought news of the multimillion-dollar raids on the offices of the Chinese Red Chinese chiefs - in Paris the student revolution. At the Faculty of Sociology in the Paris suburb Nanterre students led by 23-year-old German, Daniel Cohn-Bendit organized a rally that was transformed into a clash with police. Faculty police closed. But the riots moved in the Latin Quarter, in the heart of Paris, in the building of the Sorbonne.







Rector asked for help from the police. The police broke into the audience. Skirmishes between 2 thousands of students and police continued for several hours. Started burning cars, built a few barricades. 596 students were arrested. Sorbonne was closed and police stood at the entrance. Several students were brought to trial and received two months in prison. But the next day the student demonstrations resumed. And clashes with police - 460 students were arrested.





Student organizations demanded May 7 to withdraw the police from the Latin Quarter, the release of imprisoned students and faculties to open in Paris and Nanterre. Interestingly, the instigators were students everywhere humanities departments, ie those who are more likely stuffed with ideas of "Western civilization." Another interesting fact that General de Gaulle understood perfectly: the wind is blowing from the East. May 7 he angrily told his ministers: "This means that it is a trial of strength. We will not tolerate this situation. The order must be restored, first of all ... It's bad students do not want to go back to classes. They mock the return to peace and labor. They strive for the Chinese Cultural Revolution. No way! May not even be a question of concessions. "











The situation is particularly tense by 10 May. Students built around the Place Edmond Rostand about 60 barricades. Over the barricades - black and red flags. Around - several thousand police are waiting for the order to assault. Students armed with Molotov cocktails and stones. Police armed with batons, large plastic shields and gas grenades. At 2 am, we received an order for the assault. Battle lasted five hours. The result - 367 wounded, 32 of them seriously, 188 burnt cars. Students on the orders of Cohn-Bendit run. Trade unions decide to conduct a general 24-hour strike protest. May 13 start a general strike and demonstration. In the march from the Republic Square to Square Denfer-Rochereau was attended by over a million demonstrators.





The slogans of the demonstration: "De Gaulle - in the archives!" "De Gaulle - the poorhouse!" "Farewell, de Gaulle!" "Ten years - that's enough!" Reaching Denfer-Rochereau, the demonstrators, as was agreed in advance, diverge. But a group of students to go further and urge to storm the Elysee Palace. Moderate unions do not follow them.





May 14 police reserves the Sorbonne. Leftist students settle in the classroom. Now here - "critical" ("free") University. Days and nights on end go rallies. Sing the "Internationale" in pykax flashing red book of Mao sayings, their spreads the Chinese Embassy. Require the abolition of examinations mandatory programs and courses. Often refer to Trotsky. The walls are covered with inscriptions of the Sorbonne: "Be realistic - demand the impossible!" "Do not forbid!" "Imagination to power!"





Was declared a "continuous creative revolution". Sorbonne students was not enough, and they seized the theater "Odeon" where the action is similar to that of the Sorbonne, Paris, with the participation of intellectuals. De Gaulle flew on May 14 with a visit to Romania. The same day, hard workers occupy factory "WSW aviasёn", and two days later - the plants, "Reno". Stopped vehicles do not work telephone radio and television. Enraged, de Gaulle returned to May 18th. May 24, he appears on television with six-minute speech colorless, from which it is clear that the general was tired and afraid. On the same day in Paris a new grand demonstration.





Hundreds of thousands come with slogans such as "De Gaulle - resign!" And in the Latin Quarter, again strike smell gas, hundreds of detainees. The leader of the left-wing Francois Mitterrand May 28 in the hotel "Continental" has announced a proposal to establish a provisional government headed by Mendes-France: Mitterrand - President, ten ministers, not excluding the Communists. Mendes-France also supported student revolutionaries from Nanterre and the Sorbonne.









May 29 de Gaulle disappears without appearing to the Council of Ministers. For some reason he is in Baden Baden, on the basis of the French occupation forces. May 30, he returned to Paris. Acts on the radio: "I have decided, I'm staying." Frightened by barricades and black flag of France goes to the polls June 23-30. Gaullists acquired additional 97 seats and are now in the National Assembly 358 seats out of 485. One of the Gaullist ministers said after the election: "The party won, but finished with the general."









Students could also say that "the party won," because they finished with the general. De Gaulle, however, left his post only April 27, 1969, but it still piled students, although they were unable to take power.





























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