Big Student Protests That Rocked the World

Sept9,2025

Students in Paris sparked massive strikes against capitalism, consumerism, and traditional institutions, leading to one of the largest civil uprisings in French history.

May 1968 Protests – France

Students demanded democracy and freedom, culminating in the tragic June 4th crackdown that shocked the global community.

Tiananmen Square Protests – China (1989)

University of California students protested restrictions on political activities on campus, shaping America’s counterculture era.

Free Speech Movement – USA (1964, Berkeley)

Students across American universities organized massive demonstrations, playing a critical role in shifting public opinion against the Vietnam War.

Anti-Vietnam War Student Protests – USA (1960s–70s)

Black schoolchildren rose against the apartheid government’s enforcement of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction, facing brutal repression.

Soweto Uprising – South Africa (1976)

Thousands of students protested government repression and demanded political reforms; the movement ended tragically with the Tlatelolco massacre.

1968 Mexico City Student Movement

Students supported democratic reforms during the Prague Spring, facing a violent Soviet crackdown that crushed their hopes for freedom.

Prague Spring Student Protests – Czechoslovakia (1968)