Emerging from the fervent creativity of the Atelier Populaire, this image captures the unyielding resolve of workers during the Paris demonstrations of May 1968. The poster itself commemorates the events of 18 June at the Renault factory in Boulogne-Billancourt, one of the numerous sites of unrest that defined the period. Emboldened workers, returning to their posts after a historic general strike, chant, “Ce n’est qu’un début, continuons le combat” (“This is only a beginning, let us continue the struggle”). These words became emblematic of the movement’s persistent call for systemic change in a rapidly modernising yet unequal France.
The Atelier Populaire was a collective formed of students and workers, tasked with visually articulating the urgency and solidarity of their revolutionary aspirations. Working together in defiance of the establishment, they forged visual slogans that transcended language, uniting communities in resistance. The creative methods of the Atelier reflected their egalitarian ideals, intertwining art and activism in a way that would influence protest movements for decades. This particular work resonates as much as a historical artefact as it does a call for enduring solidarity and collective action.