SITUATIONISTS AND THE 1£CH MAY 1968

out of four from completing their studies, without
mentioning all those. who never have access
to higher education •••• This situation has caused
profound and legitimate discontent among both
students and teachers. lt has also favoured the
activity .of irresponsible groups whose conceptions
can offer no solution to the students' problems.
lt is intolerable that the government
should take advantage of the behaviour of an
infinitesimal minority to stop the studies of tens
of thousands of students a few days from their
exams ••• ".
The same issue of I' Humanite carried .. a
statement from the 'Sorbonne-L.ettres' (teachers)
branch of the Communist Party: "The
Communist teachers demand the liberation of
the arrested students and the reopening of the
Sorbonne. Conscious of our responsibilities, we
specify that this solidarity does· not mean that
We agree with or support the slogans emanating
from certain student organisations. We disapprove
of unrealistic, demagogic and anti-communist
slogans and of the unwarranted methods
of action advocated by various leftist groups".
On the same day Georges Seguy, general
secretary of the CGT, spoke to the Press about
the programme of the Festival of Working Class
Youth (scheduled for May 17-19, but subsequently
cancelled): "The solidarity between students,
teachers and the working class is a familiar
notion to the militants of the CGT ••• lt is precisely
this tradition that compels us not to tolerate
any dubious or provocative elements, elements
which criticise the working class organisations
••. "
Wednesday 8 May
A big students demonstration called by the
UNEF has taken place in the streets of Paris the
previous evening. The front page of l' Humanite
carries a statement from the Party Secretariat:
"The discontent of the . students is legitimate.
But the situation favours adventurist activities,
whose conception offers no perspective to the
students and has nothing in common with a real,
ly progressive and forward-looking policy ... "
In the same issue, J M Catala, general secretary
of the UEC (Union des Etudiants
, Communistes) writes that: "the actions of irrl:!sponsible
groups are assisting · the
Establishment in its aims ... What we must do is
ask for a bigger educational budget whith would
ensure bigger student grants, the appointment
of more and better qualified teachers, the building
of new faculties ••• "
The UJCF (Union , des )eunesses
Communistes de France) and the UJFF (Union
des ]eunes Filles Francaises) distribute a leaflet
in a number of lycees. L' Humanite quotes it
approvingly: "We protest against police violence ·
unleashed against the students. We demand the
reopening of the Nanterre and of the Sorbonne
and the liberation of all those arrested. We
denounce the Gaullist poweras being mainly (!)
responsible for this situation. We also denounce
the adventurism of certain irresponsible groups
and call on the lyceens to fight side by side with
the working