Student Protesters, 1968, Tufts Journal
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On May 3rd, 1968, a student protest for education reform and more economic opportunity at the University of Paris was broken up by police. Three days later, fights in the Latin District resulted in the hospitalization of nearly 400 Parisians. On the 13th, students occupied the University of Paris and converted it into a commune. Labor strikes spread across the the country, and students seized the stock exchange and raised a red communist flag over the building. Near the end of May, president Charles de Gaulle declared new elections and threatened the use of military force. The protests gradually wound down. The protests had a major effect on France. Shortly afterwards, the newly elected government raised wages, improved working conditions, and passed a major economic reform bill.
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