EUROPE

BarricadesofMay68StillDividethe
French
BySTEVENERLANGER

APRIL30,2008

NANTERRE,FranceFortyyearsago,Frenchstudentsinnecktiesandbobbysocks
threwcobblestonesatthepoliceanddemandedthatthescleroticpostwarsystem
mustchange.Today,Frenchstudents,worriedaboutfindingjobsandlosingstate
benefits,aremarchingthroughthestreetsdemandingthatnothingchangeatall.
May1968wasawatershedinFrenchlife,aholymomentofliberationformany,
whenyouthcoalesced,theworkerslistenedandthesemiroyalFrenchgovernment
ofdeGaulletookfright.
Butforothers,likethecurrentFrenchpresident,NicolasSarkozy,whowasonly
13yearsoldatthetime,May1968representsanarchyandmoralrelativism,a
destructionofsocialandpatrioticvaluesthat,hehassaidinharshterms,mustbe
liquidated.
Thefiercedebateaboutwhathappened40yearsagoisveryFrench.Thereis
evenafightaboutlabelstherightcallsittheevents,whiletheleftcallsitthe
movement.
WhileayouthrevoltbecamegeneralintheWestfromantiVietnamprotestsin
theUnitedStatestotheRollingStonesinswingingLondonandfinallytheBaader
MeinhofganginWestGermanyFrancewaswheretheprotestsofthebabyboom
generationcameclosesttoarealpoliticalrevolution,with10millionworkerson

strike,andnotjustarevulsionagainststiflingsocialrulesofclass,educationand
sexualbehavior.
ForAndrGlucksmann,aprimeactorthenandstillafamouspublic
intellectual,May1968isamonument,eithersublimeordetested,thatwewantto
commemorateorbury.
Itisacadaver,hesaid,fromwhicheveryonewantstorobapiece.
Mr.Glucksmann,71andstillwithamopofBeatleslikehair,wroteabookwith
hisfilmmakerson,Raphal,28,calledMay68ExplainedtoNicolasSarkozy.
Mr.Sarkozy,inastingingcampaignspeechayearagoasheranagainstthe
Socialistcandidate,attackedMay1968anditsleftistheirs,whomheblamedfora
crisisofmorality,authority,workandnationalidentity.Heattackedthecynicism
ofthegauchecaviars,thehighliversontheleft.
In1968,Thehopewastochangetheworld,liketheBolshevikRevolution,but
itwasinevitablyincomplete,andtheinstitutionsofthestateareuntouched,Mr.
Glucksmannsaid.Wecommemorate,buttherightisinpower!
AsfortheFrenchleft,hesaid,Itsinastateofmentalcoma.
ForRaphalGlucksmann,wholedhisfirststrikeathighschoolin1995,his
generationhasnostalgiafortheirrebelfathersbutnostomachforafightinhard
economictimes.
Theyoungpeoplearemarchingnowtorefuseallreforms,todefendtherights
oftheirprofessors,hesaid.Weseenoalternatives.Wereagenerationwithout
bearings.
Theevents(ormovement)of40yearsagobeganinMarchatNanterre
University,justoutsideParis,whereayoungFrenchbornGermannamedDaniel
CohnBenditleddemonstrationsagainstparietalruleswhenyoungmenand
womencouldbetogetherindormitoryroomsthatgotoutofhand.

WhentheuniversitywasclosedinearlyMay,theangersoonspreadtocentral
Paris,totheLatinQuarterandtheSorbonne,wherethestudentelitedemonstrated
againstantiquateduniversityrules,andthenoutward,toworkersinthebig
factories.
Scenesofthebarricades,thepolicechargesandtheteargasaredeartothe
French,recapturedineverymagazineandscoresofbooks,includingoneby
photographerMarcRiboud,now84,called:UndertheCobblestones,areference
toafamoussloganofthetimefromtheleaderjester,Mr.CohnBendit,nowa
memberoftheEuropeanParliament:Underthecobblestones,thebeach.
Mr.CohnBendit,knownthenasDannytheRedforthecolorofbothhis
politicsandhishair,isalsothoughtresponsibleforotherfamousslogansofthe
time:ItisforbiddentoforbidandLivewithoutlimitsandenjoywithout
restraint!withthewordforenjoy,jouir,havingthedoublemeaningofsexual
climax.
Theinjunctionwasespeciallypotentinastraightlacedcountrywherethebirth
controlpillhadbeenauthorizedforsaleonlytheyearbefore,notedAlainGeismar,
anotherleaderofthetime.
Mr.Geismar,aphysicistwhospent18monthsinjailbutlaterservedasa
counselortogovernmentministerswrotehisownbook,MyMay1968.
Now69,Mr.Geismar,aformerMaoist,usesaniPhone.Hehappilydisplayshis
musiccatalog,whichismostlyMozart.
Themovementsucceededasasocialrevolution,notasapoliticalone,hesaid.
WhilethedeGaullegovernmentrespondedwiththepoliceandmobilizedtroopsin
casethestudentsmarchedonthepresidentialpalace,hesaidtheideanever
occurredtostudentleaders,whotalkedofrevolutionbutneverintendedtocarryone
out.
Mostsignificantly,Mr.Geismarnoted,themovementwasthebeginningofthe
endoftheCommunistPartyinFrance,whichdeeplyopposedtherevoltofthese
youngleftistsitcouldnotcontrol.

Theleftistsalsomanagedinimportantwaystobreakthepartysauthorityover
thebigindustrialunions.
ThesocietyofMay1968wascompletelyblocked,Mr.Geismarsaida
conservativerecreationofpreWorldWarIIsociety,shakenbytheAlgerianwarand
thebabyboom,itsschoolsbadlyovercrowded.
Asadivorcedman,Sarkozycouldnthavebeeninvitedtodinneratthelyse
Palace,letalonebeelectedpresidentofFrance,Mr.Geismarsaid.Boththevivid
personallifeandpoliticalsuccessofMr.Sarkozy,withforeignandJewishroots,are
unimaginablewithout1968,hesaid.Theneoconservativesareunimaginable
without68.
AndrGlucksmann,whostillsupportsMr.Sarkozyasthebestchanceto
modernizethegildedmuseumofFranceandreducethepowerofthesacralized
state,isamusedbyMr.SarkozysfiercecampaignattackontheeventsofMay1968.
Sarkozyisthefirstpost68president,Mr.Glucksmannsaid.Toliquidate68
istoliquidatehimself.
Butthereisalsoafashionableabsurditytothecommemoration.Thedesigners
SoniaRykielandAgnsb.discusstheirviewsofMay1968ineverymagazine,there
aredocumentariesanddiscussionsoneverychannelandaParisianjeweler,Jean
DinhVan,Vietnameseborn,hasreissuedasilvercobblestonependanthemadeat
thetime,tocelebrate40yearsoflibertyand,inhiscase,success.(Thesmallest,
withchain,$275.)
EvenFauchon,theexpensivegourmetstorewhosecolorishotpink,haslined
upwiththezeitgeist.Thestoreissellingametalboxcontaininggreenteafrom
ChinacalledlethMai68andadornedwithslogans(including:poetryisinthe
streetsandimaginationtopower).Describedassubtlyperfumedwithexotic
fruits,grapefruit,bitsoflemonpeelandrosepetals,Fauchoncallsittheteawith
theperfumeofrevolution.Price:about$23.50.
Mr.Sarkozyhimselfistryingtogetintothespirit.InAprilhemetMr.Cohn
Benditwhogavehimacopyofhisownbook,calledForget68andinscribedit,

naughtily:"ForNicolas.Imaginationtopower,butwhen?Greetings.Dany."Mr.
Sarkozy"laughedandsaid,Illreadit,Mr.CohnBenditsaid.
"IsayforgetMay1968,"hesaid."Itsfinished.Societytodaybearsno
relationshipwiththatofthe1960s.Whenwecalledourselvesantiauthoritarian,we
werefightingagainstaverydifferentsociety."
JeanPierreLeGoffisasociologistattheNationalCenterforScientific
ResearchandauthorofMay68,TheImpossibleInheritance.May1968belongsto
noone,hesaid.Buthefindsadeepfault,anabyssbetweengenerations.Then,the
greatmassofyouthwasonthestageofhistoryasanactorforthefirsttime,and
therewasanideologyofpositivismandprogress.
Now,Franceisdepressive,hesaid,andtheyoungareafraidofeverything.
AtNanterre,asprawlinguniversityontheedgeofPariswithsome32,000
students,aposterinthelibraryadvertisesalectureonMarxentitled:Ananalysis
stillvalid,butneedingseveralcorrections.AstudenthasdrawnanXoverMarxs
brainandwritten:Allthisisfinished!
Ifin1968,studentswantedafreer,betterlifethantheirparents,todaystudents
wanttolivenoworse.ThomasWastin,24,isstudyinghumanresources,andsays
thatstudentssimplyreflectthelargersociety.Fortyyearsago,theywantedto
changeeverything,hesaid.Buttodaystudentsarentselfish,exactly,buttheyare
veryworriedaboutlosingwhattheyhave.Today,wemarchandsay,Donttouchthe
system.
RaphalFonfroide,22,anarthistorystudentwithaponytailandabeard,said
therealimpactof1968waspersonal,notpolitical.Allthisforusisprettyabstract,
hesaid.Wegrewupinaworldwheremostofourparentsaredivorced,andthe
childrenborethebruntofthenewliberalism.Theyear1968changedourparents,
buttheworldwassupposedtochange,anditdidnt.
GregoireLeBer,22,saidthattoday,itsimpossibleforustoconceiveofanew
system,astheydid,butwecanmaketheworldbetterincrementally,citingissuesof
theenvironmentandsocialjustice.

VirginieMullet,21,isstudyinghistory.Wereallworriedabouthowtoworkin
thisFrance,shesaid.AsforMay1968,allthisisalittleoverdone,shesaid.Its
alltheseoldpeoplecelebratingthemselves.
Aversionofthisarticleappearsinprinton,onPageA6oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:
BarricadesOfMay68StillDivideTheFrench.

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