"All Power to the Imagination": Paris, May 1968: The Student Revolt

This excerpt from Stephen Talbot's PBS documentary "1968: The Year that Shaped a Generation" recalls the May '68 student-led uprisings in Paris. The famous slogan of the protesters was "All Power to the Imagination." The revolt against the antiquated French educational system turned into a general youth rebellion, joined by workers in a number of factories, that rocked Paris and nearly toppled the French government. This excerpt includes commentary from author/activist Barbara Ehrenreich and novelist/diplomat Carlos Fuentes, who took part in the uprising as a young man then living in Paris.
"1968: The Year that Shaped a Generation" was produced by Oregon Public Broadcasting for PBS.
Produced, Directed and Written by Stephen Talbot
Narrator: Noah Adams
Executive Producer: David Davis
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[@thejgamer0855]

This event was at large in the 2nd year of the Greek Military Junta. 5 years later, in 14th November 1973, Students in the Polytechnic University of Athens locked the main gate down. The next days, 15th and 16th the students established the Radio Station "Εδώ Πολυτεχνείο" and started broadcasting anti-fascist messages all across Athens. Late at night of 16th November the first shots were fired at the building by surrounding infantry. Early in the morning of 17th November (around 1am) a tank showed up in the building's gate. After a few minutes of being stationary the tank broke down the gate, allowing soldiers to come in. In the carnage that followed, around 25 people inside and outside were eliminated. That was 52 years ago today. There are still motivational texts around the area, like: Ψωμί, Παιδεία, Ελευθερία (Food, Education, Liberty) Έξω οι ΗΠΑ, Έξω το ΝΑΤΟ (NATO and the USA can get out of here)

[@sambradley2975]

The Spirit of '68 lives in Paris today.

[@HermannTell]

It really doesn't. Only rich can afford living in Paris and not the outskirts and banlieus right now. It's a very money driven city, like Rocco said.

[@goyonman9655]

@@HermannTell What you just described is the spirit of '68 You were a dupe

[@ericcarson4513]

Literally today also, like as i'm typing. Trucker Rebellion.

[@sambradley2975]

The only difference between 1968 & 2018 is that in 1968, Paris was divided on the rebellion, this time, all of France was behind the rebellion.

[@ericbeaulieu4843]

Les révolutions de Paris,mai 1968 quelle ambiance d'amour,d'amitié et de fraternité.Viva el Revoluccione !

[@kingmori1]

Quel attroupement de bras cassés, de traîtres, de dépravés et de révolutionnaires en mousse ouais... Tocard.

[@onthewattle]

1:25 this is actually a quote from Breton. "'Transform the world', said Marx, 'change life', said Rimbaud; these two orders are for us one in the same."

[@LaurenLaPage]

Great video! Everyone talks slow enough, it's great for ESL/EFL teaching.

[@mkl62]

Thanks for posting. May 1 was my maternal grandfather's birthday (1899).

[@jasmimbettencourt358]

The year of '68 is such an inspiring year, it's such a shame that it lead to nowhere...

[@millerstation92]

nah just the first snowflake generation lilly white middle class baby boomer writing in wall"rather die of hunger than of boringness"lmao while the rest of the population busting their ass to advance the country

[@samuelaviles824]

@@millerstation92 you're the one who seems triggered

[@millerstation92]

@@samuelaviles824 of course Im triggered that some 20 something college students think they're justified enough to stir up a revolution in the name of "imagination". Their entire shit was worthless garbage Lenin would put them against a wall and shot them on sight.

[@noahandrews6534]

@@millerstation92 I can’t tell if you’re some dumbfuck conservative or a weirdo Stalinist. Either way you’re a reactionary dumbass who doesn’t understand what “all power to the imagination” even means. Please shut, I’ll do us all some good

[@gumballgtr1478]

No it's good I would not have wanted the beautiful country of france to end the same way of yugoslavia or the ussr it's good they failed or else we would have seen a broke france

[@sambradley2975]

Oh, I wouldn't say "ever" again... Just look at what's been happening for the last month or so.

[@comrademackerel2391]

They were council communists, not anarchists. Jfc

[@noamchomskyisbae3240]

Not a huge lot of difference though to be fair

[@GugaGDFABC]

NoamChomskyIsBae Of course there's a difference. These leftist morons aren't anarchists. How can you be an anarchist if you support politicians who want to massively increase the size of the State and who want to disarm the population?

[@monty1389]

they were ultra-leftists similar to debord & the situationist movement at the time,, some might consider it the closest thing we’ve had to a left communist uprising

[@noahandrews6534]

@@GugaGDFABC please read a tiny tiny bit of political theory good lord

[@noahandrews6534]

A mix, for the most part

[@HBMPaladin]

At least they were fighting for worker rights, not about who will urinate - how and where.

[@gracegorman642]

"It was free, it was marvellous." He should have stopped there. How does he know we'll never see it again? Has he got a crystal ball?

[@sambradley2975]

History repeated itself this month & last month.

[@hehno1]

and they are stiil in strike today . The French students I mean

[@MantaH1202]

As they should! Government members need to be held accountable... They are people too, and thus, not perfect.

[@hardyboysdxful]

No sabía que Carlos Fuentes anduvo en el Mayo del 68. Wow.

[@JohnWalterGates]

Reject modernity. Respect your elders. Defend your nation

[@truthseek3017]

Iodine is an attack on humanity.

[@handyalley2350]

Im reading about surrealism in france. This sounds alot likr it in essence. But its like the next level. Down to practice.

[@亲爱的爸爸]

great France people!

[@KibouKunny]

here after watching the dreamers (2003)? yes sr guiltyyyy

[@tFighterPilot]

Great movie, naked Eva Green.

[@Joso997]

He said we will never see it again xD

[@sambradley2975]

Just like today, the rioting went on for weeks

[@AradSP]

What was the cause of their protest anyway?

[@shubhamwr]

Anti-Capitalism, Vietnam War, they wanted transition to socialism etc etc

[@trips347]

Students couldn’t fuck eachother in dorms. That was the foundation of the protests. Horrible, imagine not getting pussy in college.

[@goyonman9655]

@@trips347 😂😂😂

[@gongheguoyongbuweinu]

太棒了

[@sambradley2975]

May'68-November-December '18.

[@brozoski]

The birth of the mess the whole world is today.

[@alijoyce2169]

Nice observation!

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

birth of sjw beta leftists

[@MrAdrien1999]

Fuck off

[@ThisisBrownfield]

no, more the last attempt to stop the mess process that led to the actual mess.

[@tackywhale5664]

@Adrien hall Cope harder.

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

Original social justice warriors.

[@lukebowman7513]

Sjw's arnt marxist or situationist, they are post modernists. Marxism and post modernism have nothing in common.

[@yndrop1751]

Adversary American lol you suck

[@CommieHamiHa]

SJWs aren't even post-modernists, they are simply liberals. They lack the analysis and cohesion of post modernists.

[@jastin5404]

The sjw's that got France free college and healthcare.

[@lukebowman7513]

@paul w i didn't say it did

[@darkdagon6]

Molecular revolution

[@eking120]

Aux USA border Les new Gaza strip baseball danse pebbles

[@Ashley-1917]

We want liberation in life, not in imagination. All power to the Soviets!