page_title: Revolt of the Languedoc winegrowers
section_title: The Montpellier demonstration
hierarchical_section_title: Revolt of the Languedoc winegrowers / The events of 1907 / The Montpellier demonstration
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Les manifestants envahissent la place de la Comédie - Montpellier (1907)
context_page_description: The Revolt of the Languedoc winegrowers was a mass movement in 1907 in Languedoc and the Pyrénées-Orientales of France that was repressed by the government of Georges Clemenceau.
  It was caused by a serious crisis in winemaking at the start of the 20th century.
  The movement was also called the "paupers revolt" of the Midi.
  It was marked by the fraternization of the 17th line infantry regiment with the demonstrators in Béziers.
context_section_description: On 9 June 1907 a gigantic gathering in Montpellier marked the climax of the vineyard challenge in the Midi. 
  The Place de la Comédie was invaded by a crowd estimated to number from 600,000 to 800,000 people.
  In 1907 lower Languedoc had about a million inhabitants, so one of every two Languedocans was demonstrating. 
  The mass mobilization transcended political or ideological views, since sympathizers of the socialist left and the royalist right stood side by side.
  This was the largest demonstration of the French Third Republic. 
  In his speech Ernest Ferroul, mayor of Narbonne, called for the resignation of all his colleagues from Languedoc-Roussillon. 
  He openly advocated civic disobedience. 
  Marcelin Albert delivered such a speech that the journalist for Le Figaro wrote, "It was mad, sublime, terrifying".
  The winegrowers' revolt received the endorsement of all political movements. 
  From royalists to radicals, all actively supported the movement. 
  All of Languedoc is allied against Georges Clemenceau, president of the Council. 
  The Catholic Church even opened the doors of its cathedral and its churches. 
  A statement from Bishop Anatole de Cabrieres said that women, children and striking winemakers would be welcomed to spend the night there.
  The same day, on the other side of the Mediterranean, about 50 000 people lined the streets of Algiers to support their colleagues in metropolitan France.
  A rumor began that the army was ready to intervene.
  Pierre Le Roy de Boiseaumarié, a legal student and future president of the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité (INAO) and the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) whose family was in Vendargues, set fire to the door of the courthouse of Montpellier to prevent the troops who had been confined inside from shooting at the demonstrators.
  The deadline for the ultimatum to the government came on 10 June 1907. 
  While Clemenceau counted on a weak and short revolt, the parliamentary commission submitted its report to the Parliament which began to examine Caillaux's bill. 
  Faced with deliberate delays in the legislature, Ernest Ferroul decided to announce publicly in Narbonne his resignation as mayor. 
  In front of 10,000 people he said from the balcony of the City Hall, "Citizens, citizens I hold my power from you, I return it! The municipal strike begins". 
  This position taken in the absence of a government solution was approved by 442 municipalities of Languedoc Roussillon who resigned in the week. 
  Black flags adorned the facades of town halls and civic disobedience was declared, the weapon of the elected officials. 
  Meanwhile clashes between protesters and law enforcers were becoming commonplace.
  On 11 June Jean Jaurès, who defended the vine growers cause in the Chamber of Deputies, filed a counter-bill with Jules Guesde. 
  The two socialist deputies proposed nationalization of the wine estates. 
  The next day, Clemenceau addressed a half-threatening, half-ironic missive to all the mayors of the wine-growing towns of Languedoc and Roussillon. 
  This earned him a scathing reply from Ernest Ferroul: "Monsieur Clemenceau, since the beginning of our demonstrations, has considered us as big children, good boys, but unaware of our actions. 
  He is one of those who think that in the Midi everything ends with songs or farandoles. 
  He is very wrong, he does not know us."
  The head of government then asked Albert Sarraut to bring Ferroul to the negotiating table. 
  The former mayor told him: "When we have three million men behind us, we do not negotiate".
caption: Montpellier. 9 June. Protesters invade the Place de la Comédie
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