Thursday, July 14, 2011
On July 14, 1789, Parisians and mutinous troops storm and capture the Bastille Prison marking the beginning of the French Revolution. Faced with severe food shortages and increasing resentment towards the rule of King Louis XVI, French citizens successfully dismantle the prison—a structure that symbolized the imposing tyranny of the ruling Bourbon monarchs and the imprisonment of opposing voices without due process. The French Revolution ultimately results in the execution of King Louis XVI and his wife by guillotine and the establishment of Bastille Day as a French national holiday—commemorating the revolt.
In April and June of this year, young protesters in France staged demonstrations across the country voicing their concern over the high unemployment rate among the youth. According to Eurostat, in the first quarter of 2011, French unemployment among 15-25 year-olds was in excess of 20 percent. These statistics, along with the feeling of being neglected by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government, fueled springtime demonstrations throughout the country.
