Latin Quarter



A student huring rocks at the police in Paris during the May 1968 uprising. The protests transformed France (Gamma-Keystone/Getty Images)
 


A student is arrested, his face bleeding, on Boulevard Saint-Germain on May 6 (Jacques Maire/ AFP/ Getty Images)
 


Protesters march with their arms linked on May 6th (Melet Georges/Getty Images)
 


Protesters face police in front of the Gilbert Joseph bookstore on May 6 (Jacques Marie/ AFP/ Getty Images)
 

Description of the Latin Quarter

The Latin Quarter is located in the 5th and 6th arrondissement of Paris.[1] Historically, the Latin Quarter is the oldest district in the city of Paris.[2] The history of this area dates back to 52 BC when the Roman conquered the land from the Gauls.[3] Here the Romans built the city of Lutentia.[4] What is today Rue Saint Jaques was the main road in this ancient city.[5] The Latin Quarter was then drastically altered in 1253 with the founding of the first university in France, the University of Sorbonne.[6] It was the addition of the university to this area that gave the area surrounding it the name “Latin Quarter”. It was named this because Latin is the official language that was used in education by both the students and professors all the way into the middle ages.[7] Latin was the only language used in universities until the 17th century.[8] The Latin Quarter was also permanently physically altered in 1968 during the Events of May. During student demonstration, the cobblestones of many streets were ripped up and used as projectiles to be hurled at the police by the students. Since 1968, many of these streets have been reconstructed with pavement. Today, the Latin Quarter is home to many colleges and universities and remains a bustling center of student activity.[9]

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Within the events of May 1968, one of the most infamous riots took place in the Latin Quarter on the night of May 10-11. This night has come to be known as the 'Night of Barricades'. Through the duration of the night 60 barricades were constructed by student protesters, 367 people hospitalized (251 of these were police), 720 people were injured and 468 demonstrators arrested.[10] At about 8:20 pm on May 10th the rioters arrived in the heart of the Latin Quarter and quickly occupied Boulevard Saint Michel.[11] From here the rioters spread and occupied as much of the Latin Quarter as they could.[12] Then, the construction of barricades began; they were made from pieces of fences, traffic signs, paving stones, cars, wooden beams, rolls of wire, scaffolding and whatever the rioters could get their hands on.[13] Many of the barriers that were constructed reached a height of over two meters.[14] The students construct the barriers not as a means to defend themselves from the police, but rather as a symbol of protest and continued challenge to the forces of order.[15]

At about 2:15am, the protest took a sudden and violent turn. It was then that the police forces receive orders to move on the students with force.[16] The police begin by throwing tear gas grenades at the protesters and the demonstrators reply by throwing cobble stones.[17] Physical altercations broke out between the police and the rioters with the police demonstrating excessive force in attempts to control the crowds. People living in the buildings alongside the streets attempted to aid the demonstrators by throwing food and drinks down to them.[18] They also poured water on the rioters in an attempt to lessen the effects of the tear gas.[19] This demonstrates that there was large support for the student movement and although those living were not among the rioters, they still made an effort to help the cause.

[1] "Guide to the Latin Quarter," What Paris: Online Travel Guide, Accessed March 29, 2019, https://www.whatparis.com/paris-latin-quarter.html

[2] "Latin Quarter Neighborhood," .parisianist.com, Accessed March 29, 2019, https://www.parisianist.com/en/attractions/neighborhoods/latin-quarter-neighborhood

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] "Guide to the Latin Quarter," What Paris: Online Travel Guide, Accessed March 29, 2019.

[7] Ibid, "Latin Quarter," Famous Wonders, Accessed March 29, 2019, http://famouswonders.com/latin-quarter/.

[8] "Latin Quarter Neighborhood," .parisianist.com, Accessed March 29, 2019.

[9] Ibid.

[10] "Timeline" from Le Monde https://www.marxists.org/history/france/may-1968/timeline.htm

[11] 'The Night of the Barricades', excerpts from Le Monde, May 12-13: http://www.marxists.org/history/france/may-1968/night-barricades.htm

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Raymond Aron, The Elusive Revolution: Anatomy of a Student Revolt, ed. Gordon Clough (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1969), 74.

[16] 'The Night of the Barricades', excerpts from Le Monde, May 12-13.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid.

[19] Ibid.

Aron, Raymond. The Elusive Revolution: Anatomy of a Student Revolt. Edited by Gordon Clough. New York: Praeger Publishers, 1969.

"Guide to the Latin Quarter." What Paris: Online Travel Guide. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.whatparis.com/paris-latin-quarter.html.

"Latin Quarter." Famous Wonders. Accessed March 29, 2019. http://famouswonders.com/latin-quarter/.

"Latin Quarter Neighborhood." .parisianist.com. Accessed March 29, 2019. https://www.parisianist.com/en/attractions/neighborhoods/latin-quarter-neighborhood

'The Night of the Barricades', excerpts from Le Monde, May 12-13: http://www.marxists.org/history/france/may-1968/night-barricades.htm

"Timeline" from Le Monde https://www.marxists.org/history/france/may-1968/timeline.htm

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