La Police S'Affiche Aux Beaux Arts
Les Beaux Arts Affichent dans la Rue
Atelier Populaire
Silkscreen, 1968
Paris, France
9823
Translation:
The police post themselves at the School of Fine Arts
The Fine Arts students poster the streets.
There are currently Gaza solidarity encampments at over 120 universities in the United States demanding divestments, boycotts, cessation of campus policing, and for their universities to advocate for an immediate ceasefire. One some campuses, police have violently attacked the students and press. Ending police violence at home has been added to the list of demands.
As demonstrations continue to spread across the US and throughout the world, we are reminded of 1968, when massive anti-war and pro-democracy protests —primarily led by students— took place in Chicago, Mexico City; Prague, Tokyo, Warsaw, and many other places. The largest started in Paris in May 1968, and lasted 7 weeks. The brutal response by the police, using tear gas and batons, inflamed the situation. What started as an occupation of universities became a general strike involving more than 10 million workers—22% of the entire population if France. The alliance between students and workers brought the French economy to a halt.
The posters produced during May 1968 have become legendary, influencing many subsequent generations of artists and movements. Today's featured poster is one of the most iconic, with the monstrous helmeted and goggled head of a French policeman choking on a paintbrush.
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