Historical reality also shows that violence can be exercised by institutions and law enforcement. This is the case during the peaceful demonstration of October 17, 1961, in Paris, where dozens, perhaps hundreds of Algerians were killed, many drowned in the Seine, by police officers.
Despite what we can read on the networks, social movements are far from always being peaceful. This is not just a two-century-old story, and the effects of unarmed violence remain ambiguous, as recalled in the book Why Civil Resistance is Effective published by Calmann-Lévy.
Conversely, in the United Kingdom, from 1911, some suffragist activists broke windows, burned buildings and planted bombs to demand the right to vote, finally granted to certain women in 1918.
However, romanticizing May 68 and presenting it as peaceful on social media is rewriting history. It's a little more complicated than that when it comes to these idealized visions of the past.
History, however, offers contrasting examples depending on the eras and methods used. For example, in 1936, paid leave was achieved through massive strikes and factory occupations, without physical violence. After the mobilization, a discourse is very present on social networks affirming that violence is useless. According to this misconception often shared online, people once demonstrated without violence and obtained rights.