Marie Darrieussecq reflects on 1968 revolution, censorship in China, and protest across generations

French author Marie Darrieussecq examines her parents' contrasting experiences during France's May 1968 protests. Her mother, a schoolteacher in the Pays Basque region, enthusiastically joined strikes despite pregnancy complications, while her father, a technical draughtsman, viewed the events as detached from provincial reality. Darrieussecq contrasts French acceptance of public disorder with China's strict control, noting her 1996 novel 'Truismes' (Pig Tales) became 'impossible in China' despite earlier Chinese editions. During a conference in Chengdu, she observed how Chinese authorities swiftly banned motorcycles to improve air quality and suppressed a planned LGBTQ+ theater event. The author highlights how Chinese citizens fear police and surveillance, with facial-recognition technology enabling rapid tracking. She recalls Wuhan professors digging tunnels during the Cultural Revolution while Parisian intellectuals celebrated Mao. Darrieussecq's personal narrative connects her conception during the protests to contemporary global protest dynamics, mentioning Emma González and Daniel Cohn-Bendit as movement icons. The piece originally appeared in ArtReview's May 2018 issue, translated by David Terrien.