Georges Pompidou Quotes

Civil movements and riots are as old as human civilization. Long before Twitter was created, mobilization of the discontented was mouth-to-mouth, or even by 'smoke signals' to gather the uprising against established political power.

The student protests of the 1960s were partly the outcome of the hypertrophy of the university and the resulting shortcoming in higher education.

The more riots that come out of our college campuses, the better the world for tomorrow.

Rebellions broke out, from the full-scale political revolution of Dorr’s rebellion in Rhode Island to urban violence and protest, often by out of work whites taking out their anger on African Americans or Irish Americans. In response, leaders had to come to terms with the role of force in a democracy.

Large crowds have gathered in the streets. The pervading spirit among the masses is resistance to Lincoln’s administration, and everywhere that determination is manifest.

There have always been grievances and youth has always been the agitator.

I could see flames from the windows of my chambers. For the next three or four days we had major rioting here in Washington and I stayed at the court day and night.

The later it gets the more disturbed the city becomes. I go with Albert through the streets. Men are standing in groups at every corner. Rumours are flying. It is said that the military have already fired on a procession of demonstrating workers.

I was told there would be riots in the streets, but there were no riots.

So that the failures to pass a civil rights bill isn't because of Black Power, isn't because of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; it's not because of the rebellions that are occurring in the major cities.

When National Guardsmen shot four unarmed students at Kent State, virtually the entire system of higher education shuddered and stopped.

I wouldn't attach too much importance to these student riots. I remember when I was a student at the Sorbonne in Paris, I used to go out and riot occasionally.

History dictates that unresponsive governments force ordinary people to do extraordinary things.

May we not look for Discontent, Mistrust, Disaffection to Government and frequent Insurrections?

The diabolical influence of communism on youth was manifested in the ... communist inspired riots in San Francisco, where students were duped into disgraceful demonstrations against a Congressional committee.

It was a bad looking mob. It was animated by the essence of revolution.

A demonstration sometimes doesn’t stop with expressing opinion….it moves to incitement to violence and then to violence

My poor friends, you know as much about starting a riot as the Italians know about writing a symphony.

Government violence can only do one thing and that is to breed counter-violence.

The Arab world is erupting, which is extraordinary, and to see it happen is like watching rings spreading on a pool - it goes out; it varies so much. The spontaneity is wonderful, but very often, if it's not well organized, it breaks up, and it peters out.

On some campuses, change is effected through nonviolent or even violent means.

Politically, we have seen the impact of social media organizing people through the Arab Spring.

Shake any institution of higher learning, and a dozen boycotters will fall out of it.

Riots are the voices of the unheard.

"This is now the twelfth day of rioting in France. They have been rioting for almost two weeks. And France has still not surrendered. That's like a record.