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CIVIL UNREST HISTORY: FRENCH RIOTS OF MAY 1968
I'm stricken by how similar in some ways the current protests across the USA are to the energy of the French riots of May 1968.
This thread will summarize things, but I highly suggest everyone do further research if possible.
I'm stricken by how similar in some ways the current protests across the USA are to the energy of the French riots of May 1968.
This thread will summarize things, but I highly suggest everyone do further research if possible.
The situation began with student and youth occupations against capitalism, American imperialism, and oppressive traditional social and official institutions.
The student and youth protests combined with general strikes resulted in violent reactions from police and aggression from university staff. People stuck together, and it evolved into conflict with the police in Paris.
Union organised strikes picked up alongside the advance of student/youth protests, with things escalating as police and institutions refused (initially) to engage meaningfully with anyone.
Charles de Gaulle, who was the 18th President of France at the time, started out by largely ignoring or organising forces against the public, but by 29 May, he strategically left the Élysée Palace, leaving the government in disarray out of fear of attacks from the public.
Students, young people, and workers continued to strike and combat police, with escalation after failed negotiations and police occupying schools and blocking streets, some of which were littered with debris from protests riddled with agents provocateurs in some areas.
Things reached the point where a revolution was assumed to be inevitable, as more popular support propped up the protesters, especially after the police brutality became evident to onlookers and outside observers.
It is attributed to Maurice Grimaud, head of Paris police at the time and pictured centre in this photo, that a revolution did not occur. He spied extensively on protestors and strikers, and strategically avoided the use of excessive force when policing.
It is, however, understood that if French protesters had taken over more central buildings, it would have been hard or impossible to stop them from further successes, given that the military police were in the same age range as protesters and unlikely to fight against them.
Things continued to escalate until 30 May, when de Gaulle called a new election and the government leaked that the army was surrounding Paris, where most protests and strikes were taking place. The election was agreed upon by all, and things began to wind down.
Unfortunately, the results were not as ideal as hoped; While the election was held, de Gaulle's party won in June, the National Student Union called off further protests, and striking workers returned to work or were removed from strike areas by police.
On 14 July, Bastille Day, there were more energetic demonstrations, but many leftist groups were banned by the government after the 30th of May; The police responded with violence this time. Nobody, protestors or police, were charged, but Britain and W. Germany filed complaints.
The May 68 protests were about systemic injustice, for young people and for workers across France. Today, the USA is rioting in the same month, largely regarding racial injustices specifically, also within a larger system of class etc. injustices.
These images from May '68 in France echo scenes coming out of the protests currently happening in the USA.
So from May 1968 to May 2020, I hope this thread was interesting or educational for someone, and here is the Wiki page if you'd like to learn more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_68
Paging @LondonIWW @fxbgiww and others who may be interested in sharing some worker/protest/strike history! 
