Veterans of 1968 protests weigh in on current high school walkouts
Former participants of the 1968 French protests shared their views on the recent high-school blockades that have lasted for weeks.
Students across French cities have been staging blockades for nearly three weeks, branding their actions as a new wave of the 1968 protests. They carry signs that criticize the university admissions platform, the lack of teachers, dilapidated school facilities, police violence, climate inaction and racism. Interviewed veterans of the 1968 movement reflected on one outlet demonstrations, with some still identifying as militants and others describing a rightward shift as inevitable.
Prominent left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon praised the youth movement as the largest since 1968, a sentiment echoed by several student leaders. The dialogue highlights both continuity and divergence between the two generations of activists.
