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The 1968 Riots
The Sixties; The Beatles Decade is currently off air
The 1960s were a turbulent decade and 1968 was a turbulent year. The reality of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War was hitting home for Americans. Many were beginning to have grave doubts about the conflict.
At the same time, America was in the grip of a social revolution. The civil rights movement had already achieved much by 1968 but many black activists were still frustrated by ingrained racism in U.S. society. When civil rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, race riots, looting and widespread arson erupted in more than 100 U.S. cities. The National Guard had to be mobilised and at least 19 people died.
In August, The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was the focus of further serious rioting. Feelings were already running high in the wake of Democratic contender Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in June. Some 12,000 police officers and thousands of demonstrators fought pitched battles for three days.
Violent protest wasn't confined to the United States. In London, 200 people were arrested after rioting outside the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square on March 17. Thousands of anti-Vietnam War protests clashed with police. There were similar scenes in October, after another anti-war demonstration.
In Paris, the rioting was so intense and lasted so long that some of those caught up in it believed the country was close to revolution. Trouble started on May 3, when students clashed with police following the closure of the Sorbonne. Students and university authorities had been at loggerheads for weeks.
Within days, rioting had spilled onto the streets and students had been joined by thousands of disaffected workers. Across France, an estimated 10 million workers went on strike. Students tore up cobbles and erected street barricades. They fought running battles with the notoriously heavy-handed CRS riot police. On May 29, the government ordered tanks to the outskirts of Paris in an effort to quell the rioting.
French President Charles de Gaulle eventually called an election for June 23. Ironically, he won easily.
In August, The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was the focus of further serious rioting. Feelings were already running high in the wake of Democratic contender Robert F. Kennedy's assassination in June. Some 12,000 police officers and thousands of demonstrators fought pitched battles for three days.
Violent protest wasn't confined to the United States. In London, 200 people were arrested after rioting outside the U.S. embassy in Grosvenor Square on March 17. Thousands of anti-Vietnam War protests clashed with police. There were similar scenes in October, after another anti-war demonstration.
In Paris, the rioting was so intense and lasted so long that some of those caught up in it believed the country was close to revolution. Trouble started on May 3, when students clashed with police following the closure of the Sorbonne. Students and university authorities had been at loggerheads for weeks.
Within days, rioting had spilled onto the streets and students had been joined by thousands of disaffected workers. Across France, an estimated 10 million workers went on strike. Students tore up cobbles and erected street barricades. They fought running battles with the notoriously heavy-handed CRS riot police. On May 29, the government ordered tanks to the outskirts of Paris in an effort to quell the rioting.
French President Charles de Gaulle eventually called an election for June 23. Ironically, he won easily.
Your Comments
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KennedyR78881
wrote on 15 Nov 2010 at 06:53 PM
I was educated in France and at the height of the war us school kids were out on the streets having running battles with the CRS & police aided by teachers and other activists against the Vietnam war this included the fire bombing of the US Consulate in Nice by persons unknown.
To compare activities in the UK and Europe riots in the UK are a teddy bears picnic in comparison I believe that 15 rioters and three police were killed.
I also knew of French activists who decided to further their beliefs by serving with the Viet Cong on the battle front. They have always had an avid hatred of Americans.
True your saying that the British were there in an advisory capacity on a minimal scale, but the advise imparted to the Americans was to track the enemy forces back to their camps. Gen Westmoreland never took this advise preferring to carpet bomb. One of the French who served with the Viets said to me Americans could be tracked any where as they dropped Coke cans, empty food packs and cigarettes where ever they went and had no jungle lore. This was also helped by the liberal supply of heroin made available to the US Forces by the Viet Cong sympathizers. More Americans returned to the US as dope heads than the forces could believe as they have no morals or the morals of alley cats and are easily lead. Bombing as they did was both ineffective and counter productive and you cannot throw might against a hidden force. Afghanistan is another lost cause. British losses 1839 - 42, 1878 - 80, 1919, 2001 and onwards. Up the 1970 - 90's and earlier the Russians occupied and lost Afghanistan and they had similar terrain to the country along their frontiers with reluctant servicemen posted there. No foreign forces will ever win Afghanistan as in Vietnam and sweeteners do not work. - Something to say? Add a comment...
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