Armed With Confusion

Multi-Pronged Student Protest through the Streets of Montreal

NewsColin Harris — Published April 11, 2012

Hundreds of students marched through downtown Montreal in waves throughout April 11 in protest of tuition increases slated to begin in September. Staging several marches without predetermined routes throughout the day, the Manifestation Générale Illimitée has Montreal police out directing traffic while students march, chant and drum to voice their dissatisfaction with a government unwilling to negotiate with a tuition freeze on the table.

Around 8:45 a.m. CS gas was used on a group of protesters occupying the National Bank of Canada, but the protest has been without police intervention since. The march continued late into the night, with plans to continue the next morning.

Wednesday’s march is but one of virtually daily demonstrations aiming to paralyze the Quebec economy until the Charest government discusses the issue of tuition hikes with students. The proposed hikes will see a 75 per cent increase in tuition for Quebec students after five years.

Several hundred thousand university and CEGEP students have been on strike for almost eight weeks.