A social and cultural bonfire took hold of Paris in 1968, flaring
up in May and disappearing almost without trace by the end of June.
The match that first lit the flame was police pressure put on a
group of mostly students who gathered together in a hall at Paris
University at Nanterre in March for a peaceful demonstration
supporting the union of the communist and socialist parties in
opposition to the government of President Charles de Gaulle.
Months of protest lead to the university being shut down by police
in early May in an attempt to quash the rebellion, followed soon
after by the Sorbonne. On 6 May over 20,000 protesters took to the
streets of Paris in a mass protest and were met with a brutal
response from the police, who responded with tear gas and
batons.
The treatment of the protesters inspired sympathy in the wider
community that lead to a strike on 13 May during which more than
one million people marched through Paris. Spurred on by the
support, the core protesters became increasingly active, reclaiming
the Sorbonne when it was reopened and making declarations that were
increasingly ill-received.
The work force soon joined the protest, and across France a series
of strikes took place that peaked at more than 10 million workers.
While strikers pushed a largely political agenda, calling for the
resignation of de Gaulle, the unions tried to use the action to
negotiate better pay and working conditions.
On 29 May de Gaulle secretly fled Paris to avoid further attacks
on himself and his government. He went to the French military base
in Germany where he was persuaded to return to Paris with the
support of his army. On 30 May 500,000 people marched through Paris
calling for de Gaulle's resignation, but later that day he
countered with a refusal to step down and a government supported
rally of 800,000 Gaullists congregated in the Champs Elysees,
effectively stamping out the possibility of a revolution.
The spirit that drove the original protests soon faded and in the
following months de Gaulle's government gained strength and
support. Although there were continued clashes with police,
including a bloody protest on Bastille Day in which numerous
students and protesters were injured, the influence of the people
dissipated.
Alex Lalak
This is an extract from the program for Fury, available
at Box Office and The Bar for $10.
Fury, Wharf 1
Theatre, 15 April - 8 June, 2013.
Feature: Taking to the streets
Date posted: 26 Apr 2013Author: STC