Thiers wants to put an end to the Republican unrest in Paris. The soldiers were ordered to seize the cannons before daybreak.

Gathered on the heights of the city, these cannons had been bought by public subscription. As far as the Parisians were concerned, they belonged to the Republican federation of the National Guard, certainly not to an army in the pay of the monarchists.

Troop movements began in the dead of night. At Buttes-Chaumont, Belleville and La Villette, the operation seemed to be going according to plan. The soldiers occupied the National Guard posts and began to evacuate the artillery. But the carriages that were to evacuate the cannons were slow to arrive.

In Montmartre, General Lecomte's brigade opened fire on a national guard who refused to give way. Louise Michel, who was present at the scene, ran to alert the Vigilance Committee, and the entire district was called to arms. Alerted by the sound of the drum, a large crowd of angry residents and national guards gathered at the bottom of the buttes. Early in the morning, the women of the district gathered in front of the cannons and called out to the soldiers, bringing them milk and bread. Meanwhile, to cries of "Long live the Republic", the soldiers of the 88th line regiment joined the crowd. National Guardsmen and lignards advanced towards the Versailles troops, determined to keep the cannons. Surrounded, General Lecomte gave three orders to fire on the crowd. The lignards refused. They raised their rifle butts in mutiny. Lecomte and his officers were arrested. The uprising spread throughout Paris and many soldiers fraternised.

In the afternoon, General Clément Thomas, who had already distinguished himself by putting down the 1848 insurrection, was recognised while inspecting the barricades dressed in civilian clothes. He was taken to rue des Rosiers, where General Lecomte was already on the Butte Montmartre. Both were shot by their own troops.

The government ordered the troops to evacuate Paris, including the forts in the south that had been returned by the Prussians. Thiers, overwhelmed by the turn of events, immediately fled to Versailles. The authority of the Assembly no longer held sway in Paris.

Unaware of the victory, the districts were stripped bare and barricades were erected. The Central Committee was in no way involved in the day's events, but battalions took over the barracks, occupied the Imprimerie Nationale and then the deserted Hôtel de Ville.

In the evening, the members of the Central Committee who had met there found themselves in control of a free city and decided to organise elections.