When the revolt known as May 68 broke out, Gilles Caron was confronted for the first time with a major event taking place in his own country, France, and more specifically in Paris. Between March and June 1968, the photographer produced a report documenting the entire sequence of protests, from the first sparks flying on the campus of Nanterre University to the summer lull.

The May-June 1968 movement in France was part of a worldwide revolt in which the youth played a key role. In the winter of 1967-1968, militant strikes took place, particularly in Caen. Between March and April, on the Nanterre campus, the growing protest against the university system and capitalist society led to the closure of the university, which strengthened the determination of the student protesters. On May 3, police intervention at the Sorbonne led to violent clashes. On May 6, students from Nantes were summoned to appear before a disciplinary board. Daniel Cohn-Bendit, who was already well known to the media, was among them and Caron shot a portrait of him that would go down in history. Following the disciplinary council, new riots broke out in the Latin Quarter and set it ablaze for several days. They culminated in the night of May 10-11, known as the « night of the barricades ». The determined students faced ultra-violent repression that shifted the tide of public opinion in favour of the protest movement, causing it to spread from a few thousand young adults to a significant fringe of the French population.

To protest against the repression, a united day of strikes and demonstrations took place on May 13, bringing together hundreds of thousands of people in Paris and confirming the spread of the protest. That same evening, the Sorbonne was taken over and opened to the public. The strikes and occupations spread well beyond the capital and beyond student circles alone, bringing together almost ten million people. On the walls of Paris, graffiti and posters expressed the desire for radical change, in the face of an outdated political world that had exhausted itself defending values that were no longer on the agenda. On May 27, a meeting at the Stade Charléty brought together a section of the left and the unions. Shortly afterwards, the « Grenelle agreements » were signed, which would serve as a basis for wage negotiations. On May 30, a march in support of the government took place on the Champs-Élysées, while General de Gaulle dissolved the Assembly and announced elections. On une 14 and 15, the Sorbonne was evacuated by the police, a sequence that Caron documented. In June, work resumed, despite strong resistance, and the result of the legislative elections confirmed the government majority. However, the « May movement » gave rise to struggles that, in the 1970s, helped to bring about change in French society.

Gilles Caron provided extensive documentation of the events of May-June 1968. He was already on the campus of Nanterre University in March-April, where he documented the beginnings of the protests, which included graffiti, general assemblies and blockades. He also met some of the figures who were to leave their mark on the media landscape, notably Daniel Cohn-Bendit. Being on the ground in Paris, at the heart of the events, he was able to react quickly and, for example, go out at night when barricades were erected on Boulevard Saint-Germain and intense clashes between students and the police were imminent. As usual, Gilles Caron, who photographs the classic themes of political conflict (scuffles, popular and trade union demonstrations, meetings, meetings of political leaders, etc.), does not neglect the fringes of the struggle: for example, daily life at the Sorbonne occupied by student protesters, but also the reactions of onlookers the day after the most difficult nights of confrontation. He also makes a point of not focusing on just one side of the violence, trying to move from one side to the other between the police and the students to give a panoramic view of the clashes. He particularly highlights the figure of the pitcher, a remarkable symbol of this revolutionary spring when paving stones became weapons. His images of 1968 May-June have played a large part in shaping our collective imagination.

1968, Paris, France, May 68, demonstrations, strikes, politics, conflicts, law enforcement, violence, rioting, police…