Massive, absolutely massive crowds out on the streets of #France against #Macron tonight
Tens of thousands out on the streets in "Marches of Light" in every of the 10-15 largest cities of France (video from #Lyon)#MediaSilence #MacronDemission #GiletsJaunes #greve23janvier pic.twitter.com/nlwArhxKAj— BasedPoland (@BasedPoland) January 23, 2020
In 1968, there were student demonstrations against De Gaulle's government. The goal was to topple the Fifth Republic and replace it with something more Marxist. De Gaulle himself had come to power when the Fourth Republic fell in 1958, and the military had come out of the barracks to install him as president.
Had the trade unionists joined the students, the Fifth Republic would have fallen because the gendarmes would have joined the rebellion. So he struck a deal with Francisco Franco next door, and there was a jet at a military base waiting to whisk De Gaulle to Madrid if things got that bad.
Before leaving, however, De Gaulle's standing order to the French Army was to use whatever means were necessary to quell the rebellion, even if it meant the military engaging in an all our war with the French people.