Quebec students’ protests reinforced - Gayo Lues

“People will be coming from Ontario and the United States to help students block their campus,” Caroline Tanguay, a student activist at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, said at a news conference Thursday.

One-third of the province’s post-secondary students have been on strike. Yet the number of protesters is decreasing following votes at assemblies before the scheduled resumption of the long-suspended spring semester as classes start at some schools next week.

The votes have had varied results- some assemblies have voted in favor of returning to school while others were eager to continue their strikes.

On July 23, a lower court rejected the petition submitted by the students, which had called for the suspension of two provisions of a controversial law, passed in May in the wake of clashes between the police and the students protesting a potential 82-percent hike in tuition fees in the province.

The so-called Special Law 78 obliges the organizers to inform the police about the timing and location of marches at least eight hours before they stage the protest move. It also allows imposing heavy fines on the protesters who fail to do so.

Critics believe the law breaches the rights of assembly and free expression. The police have arrested many people since the start of the protests more than several months ago.

University students and student unions have been protesting since mid-February to draw international attention to the government’s announced plans to raise tuition fees.

VG/JR