The Legacy of '68
Saturday 22 March 2008 By Caroline Delabroy/ FRANCE 24
The famed revolution of May '68 began with university students but spread far beyond, changing the fundamentals of French society and culture. With the 40th anniversary of the revolts nigh, some ask whether their legacy continues.(Report: J.Jackson)
Today, there remain persistent symbols of the demonstrations that took France by storm in May '68. One of these is Daniel Cohn-Bendit, currently president of the European Green Party. In January 1968, he called upon the then Minister for Youth and Sports to inaugurate the swimming pool at the University of Nanterre, in the slums of the Parisian suburbs. The minister objected to the prospect of a pool open to both sexes. “If you’re having sexual needs, go take a cold shower,” said the minister.
This anecdote reveals the social climate that motivated thousands of students to take to the streets. The commonly accepted date for the beginning of the revolt is March 22, when a group of students took over the Nanterre campus. This “March 22nd movement” evolved into the May ‘68 protests
Filmmaker Romain Goupil, who was in high school at the time of the revolts, told FRANCE 24, “At Nanterre, we demanded the liberation of a student arrested for participating in an anti-Vietnam protest.” He goes on to say that his most vivid memory of the time was “the unbelievable battle of the famous night of the barricades. It was like the revolutions of 1848. We were spiritual descendants of a revolutionary history.”
May 68, as controversial as ever
After the March 22 movement, classes were suspended in Nanterre until April 1 to avoid further trouble. Students retreated to a large amphitheatre in the Sorbonne. On May 3, the Sorbonne was forcibly evacuated. The violent incidents that followed that night resulted in 600 arrests.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of these events.
go to http://www.france24.com/en/20080321-caroline-delabroy-68-student-revolution-anniversary to read the entire report which includes a video.
The famed revolution of May '68 began with university students but spread far beyond, changing the fundamentals of French society and culture. With the 40th anniversary of the revolts nigh, some ask whether their legacy continues.(Report: J.Jackson)
Today, there remain persistent symbols of the demonstrations that took France by storm in May '68. One of these is Daniel Cohn-Bendit, currently president of the European Green Party. In January 1968, he called upon the then Minister for Youth and Sports to inaugurate the swimming pool at the University of Nanterre, in the slums of the Parisian suburbs. The minister objected to the prospect of a pool open to both sexes. “If you’re having sexual needs, go take a cold shower,” said the minister.
This anecdote reveals the social climate that motivated thousands of students to take to the streets. The commonly accepted date for the beginning of the revolt is March 22, when a group of students took over the Nanterre campus. This “March 22nd movement” evolved into the May ‘68 protests
Filmmaker Romain Goupil, who was in high school at the time of the revolts, told FRANCE 24, “At Nanterre, we demanded the liberation of a student arrested for participating in an anti-Vietnam protest.” He goes on to say that his most vivid memory of the time was “the unbelievable battle of the famous night of the barricades. It was like the revolutions of 1848. We were spiritual descendants of a revolutionary history.”
May 68, as controversial as ever
After the March 22 movement, classes were suspended in Nanterre until April 1 to avoid further trouble. Students retreated to a large amphitheatre in the Sorbonne. On May 3, the Sorbonne was forcibly evacuated. The violent incidents that followed that night resulted in 600 arrests.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of these events.
go to http://www.france24.com/en/20080321-caroline-delabroy-68-student-revolution-anniversary to read the entire report which includes a video.
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