Be young and shut up. In May 1968, the month of some of the most well-known student protests in history, posters featuring this inflammatory slogan appeared throughout the city of Paris. The poster, also featuring a shadowy image of then-president Charles de Gaulle covering the mouth of a young man, was intended to remind students of the sedate acceptance expected of them by the government. The main point was to inspire in them more of the anger that had led to some of the largest and most revolutionary protests the world had ever seen. And inspire it did: the French protests of 1968, which started with small-scale student action, eventually lead to extensive workers’ strikes, both violent and non-violent protests, and ultimately a total makeover of French ideology and society.

Although far from the first student-organised protests in history, the May 1968 uprisings are some of the best-known examples and have become virtually synonymous with student activism. Along with many other demonstrations of the time - against the Vietnam War in the United States, against the government in China, and a rising anti-apartheid movement in South Africa - these uprisings have become inextricably linked with the concept of activism amongst students. It is no doubt that the 1960s and 70s were the heyday of student protests. The growth of the counterculture movement, a shift to the left in student politics and an increasing recognition of the validity of questioning authority culminated in the sudden rise of student-led action.

What is it that made demonstrations and marches such an appealing form of protest for students? One explanation is that it relates to the feeling of security which comes from being a protest  member in a larger group of people. The idea of aiming personal opposition to powerful figures can leave individuals feeling vulnerable and easily targeted. The very nature of a demonstration entails large groups of people standing together and this can lessen individual anxieties by the feeling of solidarity it creates. The protester is no longer merely one individual standing for a cause, but part of a whole, a group with a mass identity unified by a common ideology. The feeling of safety provided by having a large number of people by your side surely is an important contribution to the popularity of demonstrations.

Another factor which contributed to this growing popularity was the sense of action that demonstrations provided. Protest marches (usually) fit into the category of non-violent protest, and unlike other examples of this such as petitions, art, and boycotts, there is a more powerful feeling of physical action stemming from them. Despite their efficacy, the sense of physical inaction inherent in petitions and protest art often leaves the protester feeling as though they are perhaps not contributing as much as they would on a march. Boycotts too, although effective, are by nature defined by the act of not doing something, and thus can have the same effect on the activist. It would seem then that the popularity of demonstrations derives not necessarily from their effectiveness, but from the perceived level of action that the participants believe they are taking.

As for the effectiveness of demonstrating, it is clear from the outcomes of the aforementioned protests that they have a significant role to play in precipitating change. It is true that following May 1968 in France and the student anti-apartheid protests in South Africa, there was no immediate political upheaval. De Gaulle’s government did not fall until a year later, and protests, both student-organised and otherwise, continued for many years in South Africa before the apartheid government eventually lost power. However, the social reaction was massive. In both cases, awareness was raised for their causes not only in their own countries, but also internationally.
May 1968 marked an important turning point in French culture, with the embrace of liberal politics and society. In South Africa the apartheid government began to lose the support of younger generations, and there were more calls for an end to oppression. In these examples, the power of protest seems to lie in its ability to raise awareness, and to make more information available to people who might otherwise have been unaware of certain political and social struggles.

So how have student protests made the transition into the twenty-first century? This year, the United Kingdom has seen a sudden increase in protests at and involving universities. This is thanks to budget reform, spending cuts and the big question marks hanging over the future of further education in this country. Earlier this year some of the most widely-reported protests occurred when students at the University of Sussex took part in a demonstration against job cuts at the university, occupying an administrative building in process. The protests quickly turned nasty when police arrived on the scene, and students were arrested. The reaction of the police and their disproportionate violence towards these protests seems, in hindsight, to indicate that this was a fight which would not end easily.

Students have been anything but apathetic over the past decade, with two wars, torture, the Bush/Blair duo and controversy over same-sex marriage (especially in the US) amongst other issues frequently motivating protest. However, an increase in political interest through university funding, tuition fees and the personal repercussions of this for university students has led not only to an increase in concerned and politically-motivated students, but also more news coverage of such topical protests. These modern protests are more centred around issues with a direct impact on students, as opposed to intellectual or social conviction. Practical rather than ideological concerns appear to be the chief motivation, reflecting the difficult times we are currently living in. Nevertheless, the size of the protest implies that students are as dedicated to their cause as they were historically, with the turnout of 52,000 students at the protest on November 10 2010 surpassing that of some of the most central events of May 1968.

How then has the attitude of students towards protests changed since the height of the counter-cultural movement? Many students who did not attend the protests based their decision on fear of the possible negative repercussions. “Someone told me that a big student demonstration would be a perfect target for terrorists,” said Edinburgh student Helley, “which made me quite nervous to go”. Others were more worried about academia, such as Laura, who said, “I decided that I had too much work to do. I had a lot of work due in that week, and academia had to take priority.” The turnout suggests though, that there were still plenty of students who were willing to make the journey down to London. This likely has something to do with the direct influence that the outcome of these protests will have on the lives of university students throughout the country. Unlike the protests of the 60s and 70s, modern protests and specifically these most recent demonstrations have been centred around issues specific to  students, and ones which will have a tangible affect on their lives.

Student protest is alive and well in the UK, and if the protests of November 10 have shown us anything, it is that they still have the ability to raise awareness, generate support, and unite a generation.