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A Summer of Red

The ongoing conflict between the government, universities and students in what has been Quebec’s longest student protest to date reached a climax this summer.

Following months of protests and students taking to the streets during the early months of 2012 to protest the proposed tuition fee increase, the winter semester ended abruptly for many in the wake of unresolved tension.

Negotiations between the provincial government and student leaders began in April following massive protests in cities province-wide. The Charest government introduced a new deal of a $254 per year increase over seven years to total $1,778 compared to the initial increase of $1,625. This offer did not sit well with student organizations and negotiations quickly dissolved.

In May, following unsuccessful attempts at negotiations between the provincial government and student leaders, then Education Minister Line Beauchamp resigned from her position.

Upon stepping down, Beauchamp said that following discussions with students leaders she lost confidence in striking a compromise.

“I am resigning because I no longer believe I am part of the solution,” announced Beauchamp on May 14.

Following the appointment of new Education Minister Michelle Courchesne, the Charest Liberals tabled a controversial and historic bill aimed at ending the student crisis. The National Assembly passed the emergency legislation May 18 with 68 in favour and 48 opposed.

Bill 78 imposes strict regulations for protests and limits the size, when and how long individuals can protest. Demonstrations must be restricted to 50 people or fewer, where the individuals must provide an itinerary eight hours in advance to police.

Hefty fines are imposed for individuals who block access to classes as the law is aimed to ensure students may attend their courses if they so wish.

The law also immediately suspended the winter semester of 11 universities and 14 CEGEPs affected by the student strikes.

The emergency legislation was immediately implemented and met with backlash from students, citizens, various groups and the Quebec Human Rights Commission that condemned the bill. It resulted in students and their supporters taking to the streets in large numbers in nightly demonstrations.

In defiance, student group Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale etudiante encouraged students to challenge the law by protesting in the streets. Thousands took to the streets in a sea of red during the following days resulting in mass arrests May 22 and May 23. More than 500 lawyers marched in silence to oppose Bill 78 on May 28.

During this time, demonstrators banged pots and pans every night at 8 p.m. from their balconies and in the streets of the downtown core as a way to voice their discontent with the provincial government. International protests were organized to show solidarity with striking Quebec students and the iconic red square even made an appearance on Saturday Night Live when Arcade Fire performed.

As summer continued, so did protests but in smaller numbers. Dozens still march every night but demonstrations fizzled out shortly after the tumultuous Grand Prix weekend in Montreal where police and protesters clashed.

In anticipation of a provincial election, Léo Bureau-Blouin, former president of Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec, announced his candidacy for the Parti Québécois on July 25. Bureau-Blouin runs for the riding of Laval-des-Rapides.

The provincial government called an election for Sept. 4 on Aug. 1. Political parties were given 34 days to sell themselves to electors. More than six months of student protests is a force behind the upcoming provincial election.

On Aug. 8, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois quietly announced his resignation as a spokesperson from CLASSE. Nadeau-Dubois’ resignation was timed with students heading back to CÉGEP and participating in strike votes. The move was surprising as Nadeau-Dubois has been the face behind the student movement since February but he felt it was time for “new blood” to arrive.

In a letter published in Le Devoir, Nadeau-Dubois wrote that the student movement had a new stage of renewal, and that it was time for him to go.

In mid-August, thousands of CEGEP students voted to return to class to finish their winter semesters. Following the return to classes of a dozen CEGEPs, students of CEGEP de Saint-Laurent and CEGEP du Vieux-Montréal also decided to discontinue their strike.

As Concordia’s new president Alan Shepard emphasized in an interview with The Concordian, the future of the student strike “depends on the outcome of the election.”

For now, the student movement and crisis has reached a lull while student groups encourage students to vote on Sept. 4. The student strike, while it continues on the 22nd of each month has reached a standstill for the time being.

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In Case You Missed It

Oct. 15, 2011 – Occupy Montreal movement begins

In coordination with the Occupy Canada movement and in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street in New York City, approximately 1,000 people showed up to Victoria Square for the first day of Occupy Montreal. Participants in the ‘general assembly’ then decided to rename Victoria Square as “Place du peuple.” Occupy Montreal lasted about a month before police forcibly vacated the square.

Nov. 10, 2011 – Massive downtown protest against tuition hikes

An estimated 30,000 students protested against the provincial government’s plan to raise tuition in the streets of downtown Montreal. Despite the downpour, a Concordia contingent left from Reggie’s terrace around 1 p.m. to meet up with other students at Parc Emilie-Gamelin. After marching through the downtown core, the movement gathered outside Premier Jean Charest’s office on McGill College. By the end of the protest, some students flocked to the James Administration building to take part in a growing confrontation. Police used tear gas and pepper spray to force protesters off McGill property. According to Montreal Police, four arrests were made that day.

February 7 – 12, 2012 – McGill students occupy James Administration building

A group of students occupied the office of Deputy Provost for Student Life and Learning, Morton Mendelson, in protest of the administration’s decision not to uphold a referendum that would continue funding the campus radio station and a social justice organization. Students requested that CKUT and QPIRG continue to receive funding and that Mendelson step down. Administration cut off access to power and plumbing, which eventually forced students out days later.

February 10, 2012 – Student representatives walk out on Board of Governors

Student governors Cameron Monagle, AJ West and Erik Chevrier quickly put an end to a meeting that had not even entered open session. The three students walked out in protest because they opposed a motion made in closed session that addressed whether or not cameras and recording equipment would be allowied during meetings. When they left, the meeting lost quorum and was therefore cancelled.

March 5, 2012 – Concordia University votes to go on strike

Concordia University became the first English post-secondary institution to join the student strike against the tuition increase. In a historic moment, undergraduate students voted in favour of a week-long general strike from March 15-22.

March 5, 2012 – Concordia Student Union execs disqualified

Then-executive candidates Schubert Laforest and Lucia Gallardo were disqualified from running for the Concordia Student Union by Chief Electoral Officer Ismail Holoubi. Holoubi claimed that Gallardo and Laforest were not registered students and thus not eligible to run.

March 9, 2012 – Concordia University is fined $2-million

Education Minister Line Beauchamp slapped Concordia University with a $2-million fine for handing out excessive severance packages and mismanaging funds. In a letter addressed to the administration, Beauchamp expressed her concern about senior administrators’ salaries and the turnover rate for those positions.

March 16, 2012 – Gallardo and Laforest reinstated

The judicial board of the CSU ruled that Gallardo and Laforest should be able to participate in the general election campaign.  Their affiliation presented evidence that they experienced trouble with their VISAs and were left temporarily unregistered.  Both candidates were reinstated.

March 22, 2012 – A sea of red to denounce the tuition fee increase

A massive demonstration of more than 200,000 students and their supporters took to the streets of downtown Montreal to protest against the tuition fee increase.  Concordia University cancelled class on both campuses that day for security reasons. It marked one of the largest protests in Canadian history and no arrests were made.

April 2, 2012 – Sit-in outside of Lowy’s office

When a Fine Arts Student Alliance general assembly failed to meet quorum, more than 70 students held a sit-in outside of President Frederick Lowy’s office on the 15th floor of the MB building. Students proceeded to demand another meeting so they could discuss concerns about the ongoing student strike. After an hour, Lowy emerged from his office to take part in the impromptu meeting which would be continued at a later date.

May 14, 2012 – Education Minister Line Beauchamp resigns

Following months of student unrest and protests against the tuition hike, Education Minister Line Beauchamp stepped down from her position and from politics entirely. Beauchamp’s resignation came after negotiations between the provincial government and student groups failed.  An hour later, Michelle Courchesne was appointed as the new education minister.

May 18, 2012 – Provincial government passes Bill 78

In an effort to put an end to the tuition crisis after 14 weeks of student unrest, the provincial government passed the controversial and historic Bill 78. The bill cracks down on the size and governance of demonstrations, imposes strict fines for individuals blocking access to classes in post-secondary institutions and ended the winter semester at CEGEPs and universities affected by the strike.

July 26, 2012 – Jun Lin’s funeral

A Concordia University student Jun Lin was remembered in a public funeral nearly two months after his brutal murder. Family and friends gathered at Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery at 9 a.m. to mourn the loss of 33-year-old Lin. His ashes were buried in Montreal, where he had started to make a life for himself. The suspect was apprehended and his trial is ongoing.

August 1, 2012 – Alan Shepard takes office

Concordia University’s incumbent President Alan Shepard took office on Aug. 1 to commence his five-year mandate. Shepard was hired to replace Frederick Lowy who was appointed as interim President following the resignation of Judith Woodsworth in Dec. 2010.

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100 days of social unrest

Thousands marched through downtown May 22 in protest. Photo by writer.

Following a massive demonstration which took place yesterday, newly appointed Education Minister Michelle Courchesne announced this afternoon that she is willing to meet for negotiations with all three major student organizations.

The Fédération étudiante collègiale du Québec and the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec have thus far refused to go to the table without the third, and most radical group, the Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicate étudiante. After 100 days of protesting, Courchesne has stated she is willing to sit down with all of the representatives.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of downtown Montreal on Tuesday, unified against the tuition increase and Bill 78.

The massive protest started from Place des Arts, gathering thousands of demonstrators from all walks of life in the sweltering heat. The protest kicked off with a press conference and passionate speeches from student leaders.

Although the exact number of protesters is not confirmed, the CLASSE estimates that approximately 250,000 people marched through the streets May 22.

The march divided into three groups, one following CLASSE’s banner, another following the planned route and a third diverging completely from the other two protests. A sea of red stalled traffic for hours as the different demonstrations made their way through the downtown core.

Although several sanctions of Bill 78 were violated such as deviating from the initial itinerary and having more than 50 individuals present, no arrests were made. Montreal Police declared the third protest illegal at approximately 4:45 p.m. because of three broken windows. Those demonstrators quickly returned to the main protest.

It was not just students this time that opted to take to the streets to express their frustration with the tuition increase and the controversial emergency legislation. Clowns without borders, teacher associations, members of the National Assembly, parents, grandparents and citizens of all kinds marched in solidarity with students in one of the largest protests in Canadian history.

The movement went international Tuesday, as smaller events were held in different cities worldwide. Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, New York City, and Paris, France held similar protests in a symbolic gesture with the student protesters in Quebec.

Concordia Student Union’s VP external elect Simon-Pierre Lauzon attended the protest to support the fight against the tuition increase and Bill 78 and hopes to encourage others to do the same.

“I was there to satisfy what I think is the duty of every citizen,” Lauzon told The Concordian. “Which is to actively fight for the society that we want.”

People from all walks of life participated in the massive demonstration. Photo by writer.

Lauzon remains unsure of what will happen next, but has strong opinions about the movement’s conclusion.

“I cannot predict the movement anymore as it has consistently impressed me, especially after the passage of law 78,” explained Lauzon. “But I can tell you how it will not end: it will not end with the government forcing us into submission with brute force, and it will not end with an offer from the government that does not touch tuition increase.”

Also present at the demonstration was Vanier College student and Mob Squad leader, Anthony Kantara, who was pleased to see the number of individuals in the streets.

“I hope Charest got the message it’s time for him to go,” he said.

Kantara feels that Bill 78 was one of the main forces that encouraged thousands to protest in solidarity. He believes that the newly adopted legislation is one of the “most useless laws that exist.”

“My fundamental rights and freedoms are more important to me than a ‘special law’ created by a corrupt government,” added Kantara. “Unfortunately, it puts the police force in an awkward position. Thus, the results we’ve seen in the streets over the weekend.”

Kantara is referring to the nightly protests that became more violent than ever and resulted in hundreds of arrests over the weekend due to the adoption of Bill 78 last Friday. Bill 78 has been called into question regarding how the police are supposed to govern protests and enforce the limitations outlined by the special legislation.

The planned protest dispersed in the early evening but people met once more at Place Emilie-Gamelin for the 29th nightly protest. At 8 p.m. in downtown Montreal citizens emerged, clanging pots and pans in protest. It resulted in over 100 arrests.

With files from Marilla Steuter-Martin.

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Students take to streets of Sherbrooke

Photo by Navneet Pall
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Over 5,000 students and citizens attended a demonstration on Wednesday in Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s home riding of Sherbrooke.

Students bused in from across the province representing high schools, CEGEPs and universities which have been protesting the province’s tuition increases.

The Concordia contingent, which was organized by student union VP external Chad Walcott, lost a large number of supporters before the bus even left the Hall building.

Earlier in the day, about 60 students were arrested during a protest which occurred at the Eaton Centre shopping mall as well as the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Police say that those arrested were involved in “mischief” though it is not completely clear what the students have been charged with.

Walcott confirmed that a number of those arrested were Concordia students who were supposed to be on the bus, which departed at 11 a.m. Ultimately the group leaving from campus was quite small, with only six people travelling to Sherbrooke for the march.

The protesters congregated at the University of Sherbrooke and met up with an even larger group before walking all the way to the premier’s local office. Once there, students continued to cheer and chant as leaders of the movement made speeches.

 

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Student strike stalemate sways public opinion

If the Quebec government hoped to see the student movement against tuition hikes lose momentum with the end of the academic year, student leaders say they should think again.

Despite the Liberals’ attempts to appease the student protesters with first signs of interest in negotiating and promises of bursary bonifications, the government is currently taking increasing heat from businesses, universities and citizens, being urged to quickly find a solution to the ongoing stalemate.

Two weeks ago, the head of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec warned that an extension of the winter semester would have repercussions on the number of students filling summer jobs, and would result in a serious blow to the province’s tourism and economy. Last week, the rector of the Université du Québec à Rimouski also urged Minister of Education Line Beauchamp to re-establish a dialogue with students and proposed to name a mediator.

“In this context of pre-elections, it’s going to be increasingly difficult for the Charest government to maintain their position [in favour of tuition hikes],” said Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec president Martine Desjardins. “The government is expecting the movement to lose steam, but what we see is an increasing number of strike votes and an intensification of the movement.”

At Concordia, despite a one-week general strike and sporadic disruptions of classes and exams, the movement led by the Concordia Student Union will likely have no effect on the university’s academic calendar. Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota said the movement was not disruptive enough to make the university consider an extension of the winter semester.

In other universities, however, administrations are forced to adjust their schedules due to as much as eight weeks of general strikes in some cases.

UQÀR, Université du Québéc à Montréal and Université de Montréal are looking into extending the winter semester by at least a month and are hoping for a return to classes by April 16.

“Cancelling a semester would have disastrous economic consequences for universities and CÉGEPS,” said Desjardins. “It would mean having double the number of students next year, double the amount of professors and double the entire costs.”

Many departments in these universities have voted for an unlimited strike until their demands are met or until their student union puts an end to the movement. Added to that, the major student associations are informally respecting an agreement of non-denunciation and non-negotiation, where associations cannot question the legitimacy of other student groups’ actions, nor can they initiate negotiations with the government without the presence of all the major associations. The return to classes will likely depend on the government’s decision to negotiate with students.

For Desjardins, the threat formulated by Beauchamp warning students of academic consequences after the massive March 22 protest only proved the Liberal government had its back against the wall.

Beauchamp opened the window for negotiations for the first time last week saying she was ready to talk about improving the loans and bursaries program, but was adamant in her refusal to contemplate a tuition freeze.

“I cannot sit down at a table with students and discuss the topic of ‘to whom are we passing the bill to,’” Beauchamp told La Presse.

Although Desjardins praised Beauchamp’s effort to initiate negotiations, she said raising conditions for the talk was a bad start.

Desjardins also said that student mobilization against tuition hikes will continue to grow and actions will continue to be organized week after week, depending on the context and government responses.

“So far, it doesn’t look like we are stopping anytime soon,” she said.

At Concordia, there are still no signs of a petition that would initiate a third general assembly in order to vote for a continuation of the strike among undergraduate students. Concordia Student Union vice-president external Chad Walcott said that even if a GA was to be held by the CSU, “it would be very difficult [in the context of the end of the semester] to mobilize enough people in time in order to meet quorum.” However, Walcott said that the CSU would still participate in other organizations’ movements and said the union was ready to provide the necessary resources to students who “are keeping the movement alive.”

The major actions planned by student organizations so far are a protest in Premier Jean Charest’s Sherbrooke riding on April 4 and an outdoor show in downtown Montreal on April 5.

Information about future actions will be posted on the FEUQ’s, the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec’s and the Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante’s websites.

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Thousands take part in Tuesday protest

Students who were supposed to occupy the Guy-Metro building today on Concordia’s downtown campus changed their plans and ended up merging with a protest in support of a student who was allegedly hit by a Concordia security guard yesterday.
The protest was called yesterday evening on Facebook, after a video showing a security guard seemingly hitting a student in the face attracted quite the attention on the Internet. The video, that had less than 400 viewers yesterday evening, now shows that almost 7,000 people have watched it. The Facebook event was calling for the support of all Montreal schools to join Concordia students against the “repressive” methods used by the university against students who choose to block access to classrooms.
Amber Gross, the philosophy student at McGill who was allegedly hit by the security guard, was walking by the protest today, surprised to see people recognized her in the street.
Gross explained that she and a group of students were met with violence by Concordia security when they were not actually picketing.

“We were supposed to [block access to the classroom] but no one actually showed up to class,” she said. “ We were kicked out by security for just sitting on a bench. I’m on my way to file a complaint right now.”
At several occasions, the protesters stopped their march to sit in the middle of the street, once completely blocking the intersection between Guy Street and De Maisonneuve Boulevard. The police had to intervene to regulate traffic and redirect the visibly angry motorists.
The 100 protesters were quickly joined by thousands of other students around 2 p.m., kicking off another march against tuition hikes.
They left Concordia through the main streets of downtown Montreal, heading towards Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s office on McGill College Avenue. At least 2,000 protesters ended the march in front of Loto-Quebec’s offices on Sherbrooke Street around 4.30 p.m., chanting and establishing a relaxed atmosphere by chatting with police officers.
This protest came one day after the Concordia Student Union was forced to adjourn their general strike for failing to meet quorum for a second general assembly.
-Photos by Joel Ashak
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Hundreds of thousands flood the streets

The scene at Berri and Ontario at Thursday's tuition hike protest where an estimated 200,000 people took to Montreal's streets.

Check out a photo slide show from the march here.

Over 200,000 people took to the streets March 22 to protest tuition increases, many of whom were students from universities across Quebec.

The Concordia delegation, which led the way for the better part of the three-hour event, congregated near the Hall building around 12 p.m. Over 500 students then began to proceed down Ste-Catherine Street lead by Concordia Student Union VP external Chad Walcott, and President Lex Gill.

The scene at Berri and Ontario at Thursday’s tuition hike protest where an estimated 200,000 people took to Montreal’s streets.

The march began officially at Canada Place, where buses full of students from outside the city started arriving earlier in the day. The approximate length of the route was 5 km, with protesters marching down both Sherbrooke and Ste-Catherine Streets to their ultimate destination, Jacques-Cartier Place in the Old Port.

Protesters held signs denouncing Premier Jean Charest’s Liberal government, the leadership of Education Minister Line Beauchamp, and the idea that accessible education is not a priority.

The historic nature of the march had some people in the Twittersphere saying that a “Printemps erable” (Maple Spring) — clearly a play on Arab Spring — had arrived in Quebec.

Despite the massive turnout, the protest was extremely peaceful and the SPVM reported no major incidents during or after the march. Police presence was very light in comparison with other demonstrations that have taken place over the past few weeks.

“This sends an incredibly strong message to the government,” said Gill of the protest. “If anything else, the Liberal party has lost 200,000 voters for life.”

She went on to say that the march was the “largest mass demonstration over a public issue […] in years. It’s twice what they had in 2005,” she said of the last major student strike in Quebec.

The participation far exceeded the predictions made earlier in the day, proving that there is more public support for the student movement than estimated. Despite the success of the demonstration, Gill explained that protesters still have much work to do.

“The fight is not over,” she said. “There will be massive actions in the coming weeks until the government backs down.”

Walcott agreed with her saying that “it’s not a done deal,” and student groups need to “keep the pressure on. He said that the organizers’ willingness to communicate with the SPVM really made a significant difference in the tone of the day’s activities.

Participants in the March 22 demonstration represented every age demographic, from toddlers with their parents to cheering grandparents. Grade 10 student Terra Leger-Goodes of Paul-Gerin-Lajoie School in Outremont was at the march with a large group of students from her class.

“We heard that the cost of going to university is going up by a large amount, so we’re here to protest that. Society can only advance if people can go to school and gain knowledge,” she said, mentioning that by the time she enters university four to five years from now, the government’s tuition hikes will have almost reached their maximum. The Charest Liberals are planning to increase tuition by $325 a year between 2012 and 2017.

For grandmother Danielle Genereux, accessible education is an issue that affects everyone in Quebec, and should be at the top of the government’s priority list.

“Major investments in education should be an absolute priority. There should be no further discussion on that,” said Genereux, a grandmother of seven. “[The government] says opposition against tuition increases is not representative of the whole population. But today, they will see that it is representative.”

At the end of the march, Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarite syndicale etudiante spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois told students to return to their schools and to keep the student movement going. By 6 p.m., most of the protesters had dispersed, crowding into the nearest metro stations.

CLASSE, one of the main organizers of the day’s march, is planning a series of protests next week in an effort to cause an “economic disturbance” in the city, which they say will only end when the government retracts its decision to up tuition. The first “manif-action” takes place Monday, March 26 at 11 a.m. at Henri-Julien Park.

Concordia’s next general assembly where students will vote whether or not to remain on strike is scheduled for Monday, March 26 at 2 p.m. on the Reggie’s terrace. The university has already made clear that as of Monday, students who continue to block access to classrooms or buildings will face charges.

Opposition parties join students

Earlier in the morning, a press conference was held at Palais des Congres by the Federation etudiante universitaire du Quebec and the Federation etudiante collegiale du Quebec, and included representatives from groups such as the Centrale des syndicats du Quebec and the Confederation des syndicats nationaux, as well as opposition political parties, the Parti Quebecois, Quebec Solidaire and Option Nationale.

At the conference, PQ leader Pauline Marois reiterated that a PQ-elected government would not proceed with the tuition hikes, and would call for a provincial summit on post-secondary education. “The Charest government must stop considering students as enemies of the state,” she said.

QS spokesperson Francoise David, for her part, emphasized that the government could increase taxes on larger corporations in order to bring in more revenue, rather than asking for more money from students.

After the conference, PQ post-secondary education critic Marie Malavoy spoke to The Concordian about the issue of mismanagement of public funds in Quebec universities that has often been brought up in the debate on tuition increases.

Speaking on Education Minister Line Beauchamp’s recent decision to impose a $2 million fine on Concordia for handing out severance packages totalling $3.1 million, Malavoy said “there is no reason to have targeted one university. We must look at the salaries, the benefits and the severance packages at all universities. It’s foolish to think it’s just Concordia,” she said.

Malavoy mentioned that an idea has been floating among PQ ranks to institute a “commission” to look more closely at the management of public funds in Quebec universities.

Reaction from the government to the March 22 protest became more severe as the days passed. On the morning of March 22, Charest told reporters at the National Assembly in Quebec City that his government would “never stop listening to students.”

By Friday, his education minister was telling the Canadian Press that students needed to get back to class, or else they would face consequences. Line Beauchamp reiterated that the government would not back down from its decision, and said that should students continue to boycott classes, they risk having their semesters extended or classes scheduled at night. Concordia already indicated in a previous statement that it has no intention of prolonging the winter term.

 

Police officers on horses were at the tail end of the march.

 

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March 22 live blog recap

[View the story “The Concordian at March 22” on Storify]

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ConU kicks off strike with a march and ends with province-wide protest

Students kick off strike with March. Photo by Navneet Pall.

 

Students kick off strike with March. Photo by Navneet Pall.

The last day of the week-long strike voted on at the Concordia Student Union’s March 7 general assembly will coincide with the massive province-wide protest against tuition hikes set to take place on Thursday, March 22. On that day, Concordia University will shut down both of its campuses.
An email sent by Provost David Graham and vice-president institutional relations Bram Freedman on Monday to all students and staff stated that, considering 15,000 protesters are expected to gather around Concordia before heading for the march towards Canada Place on Thursday, the university had to ensure the safety and security of the university community and members of the public by closing down and stopping all university activities for one day.
The university, however, will reopen on Friday, March 23.
“The area is going to be congested with people,” said Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota. “There is not enough space in and around campus to allow people to gather and facilitate access in the same time. [Closing the university] was the right call to make.”
The March 22 protest will see tens of thousands of students gathering in the streets of Montreal, according to organizers at the Coalition large de l’association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante.
A Concordia delegation will be meeting in front of the Hall building at 12.30 p.m. and will be led by the CSU to meet with the rest of the protesters at Canada Place.
The Concordia week-long strike already kicked off last Thursday with a march of more than 200 ConU students through the streets of downtown Montreal.
Some of them gathered early in the morning in front of the Hall building, chanting, dancing and peacefully blocking the front entrance of the building with tape and balloons. At 11.30 a.m., about 100 students started marching around the downtown campus, eventually joined by at least 100 more protesters along the way.
“At the beginning, we were supposed to stay around the Hall building, but then a bunch of people said ‘let’s go to Charest’s office [on McGill College Avenue],’ so we did,” said CSU VP external Chad Walcott. “It went amazingly well and our numbers more than doubled during the march. I think we proved loud and clear that English students are not that apathetic and we definitely gave Montreal a little wake-up call saying that Concordia University is still alive and well.”
After a couple of circles around the Hall building, the protesters — accompanied by a giant bookworm made out of a dozen students hiding under sewed sheets — started walking on Ste-Catherine Street, escorted by police cars and attracting drivers’ and pedestrians’ attention with vuvuzelas. The students then went up McGill College Avenue for a quick stop in front of Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s office, before heading back towards Concordia.
“I am extremely proud of Concordia students today,” said School of Community and Public Affairs professor Anna Kruzynski, while dancing with the students after taking part in the march. “It’s the first time in Concordia’s history that students go on strike for more than one day. We have to take the tuition hikes issue to the street in order to be visible and gain the most support before the provincial government passes the budget on March 20.”
Kruzynski added that even though the decision to strike was not an easy or a unanimous one, it was a necessary sacrifice for the future of the education system in Quebec.
“There’s a lot of students who probably don’t understand why we need to strike,” she said. “But if you look at the history of student movements, the many strikes we had made it possible to stop tuition hikes or improve the loans and bursaries programs. If it weren’t for those strikes, people here would be in the same situation as students in other provinces where they have to pay $5,000 in tuition fees every year.”
When Tuesday’s march ended around 1 p.m., students remained in front of the Hall building, enjoying free food and partially blocking traffic by chanting and dancing in the street to the sound of drums.
“It’s just day one so people are still trying to figure out what is going on,” said psychology student Kathleen Khall about the turnout at the march. “The strike went really well and there was a lot of support from people who weren’t Concordia students as we were marching. As the days go on, people will probably participate more and I hope the movement grows and that we don’t let the French schools do all the work for us.”
As for the CSU’s strategy in preparing the March 22 protest, Walcott said he aimed to move away from the picketing “inside,” as such action was more in the hands of faculty associations, and “bring everybody to a festive atmosphere outside in the streets.”
“We’re going to keep people active, motivated and marching,” Walcott said. “If we continue like this, we will hopefully get a positive momentum and make all students join us without even having to picket.”

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Music

Mixtape: Music to strike to

Does the proposed tuition hike piss you off? Does Charest’s silence unnerve you? Are you worried about the way the government manages funds? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.
Whether it’s a question of accessibility or where the provincial government’s priorities lie, this is a historic moment for CEGEP and university students in Quebec. Protests and sleep-ins are taking over Montreal’s downtown core. It’s chaos for change; for those who don the red square, this is not a quiet battle. The strive for accessible education is a loud revolution and a long fight. Though the weather is getting warmer, Minister of Education Line Beauchamp should be aware that the students won’t quit until the freeze settles in. So, for those of you who choose to strike, or for anyone who is against the hike, this mixtape is for you.

Listen to the mixtape here!
SIDE A: Hungry for change

1. “Bulls on Parade” – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire

2. “The Hand That Feeds” – Nine Inch Nails – With Teeth

3. “Walk” – Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power

4. “Fuck Authority” – Pennywise – Land of the Free?

5. “I Fought the Law (and I Won)” – Dead Kennedys – Single

6. “Brainstew/Jaded” – Green Day – Insomniac

7. “Flagpole Sitta” – Harvey Danger – Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?

8. “I Get it” – Chevelle – Vena Sera

9. “Fight the Power” – Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet

10. “Bound for the Floor” – Local H – As Good as Dead

SIDE B: Irate and ready to rage

11. “Uprising” – Muse – The Resistance

12. “Seven Nation Army” – The White Stripes – Elephant

13. “Deer Dance” – System of a Down – Toxicity

14. “Down With the Sickness” – Disturbed – The Sickness

15. “Bodies” – Drowning Pool – Sinner

16. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” – The Offspring – Americana

17. “Break Stuff” – Limp Bizkit – Significant Other

18. “Re-Education (Through Labor)” – Rise Against – Appeal to Reason

19. “Man in the Box” – Alice in Chains – Facelift

20. “When Worlds Collide” – Powerman 5000 – Tonight the Stars Revolt!

Categories
News

Anti-police brutality protest turns chaotic

Annual anti police brutality march takes a turn for the worse. Photo by Navneet Pall.
Annual anti police brutality march takes a turn for the worse. Photo by Navneet Pall.

Almost 1,000 citizens took to the streets last Thursday night to participate in the 16th annual
march against police brutality in downtown Montreal.
In the end, 226 protesters were arrested, 36 in isolated cases, and the others in a mass arrest, according to police chief Marc Parent.
Seven police officers were slightly injured in the process, as were two protesters. Of the 226 who were arrested, three adults and one youth were still in custody Friday morning. They are facing assault, weapons and breach of probation charges.
The march began relatively peacefully in Berri Square at around 5 p.m. and slowly made its way up Berri Street, surrounded on all sides by police forces, on foot, in cars and on horseback.
Some of the protesters were part of Secours Rouge, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of political, revolutionary and anti-capitalism prisoners. Sarah, a member of the group, said they were at the march this year to defend their rights.
“We are here to defend our right to protest, our right to be opposed to the anti-conformist
capitalist politics of the government,” she continued. “It’s a way for us to send a message to all those people who are marginalized in society and who experience daily police brutality or have been arrested.”
Less than half an hour into the march, some protesters began throwing projectiles at police officers. Marchers were informed that as long as they kept to the flow of traffic, they would not be stopped.
In defiance of this, the march turned towards the downtown core and police forces were immediately deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.
Police cruisers went speeding after the crowd, followed by lines of riot police in full gear. Officers proceeded to block protesters off at the corner of Sherbrooke and Aylmer Streets, hitting on their shields to scare people off and throwing concussion grenades at protesters.
However, nothing seemed to discourage the angry crowd. As protesters made their way down to Ste-Catherine Street, some kept throwing objects at the police and screaming obscenities. A few courageous protesters sat in the middle of the street, facing the police.
Despite the escalation, the most motivated protesters continued on, splitting off into smaller groups as police blocked off certain streets, effectively dividing the mass.
Those left at the front proceeded to vandalize stores and smash two police cruisers, one of which was flipped over.
With such a heavy police presence, many have voiced concerns about how much recent protests, including those against tuition hikes, have been costing Montreal police.
SPVM spokesperson Anna-Claude Poulin said it would be some time before they would be able to release a financial estimate.
“The information regarding the cost or the resources implied in the recent protests is not going to be compiled before the end of the events,” wrote Poulin in an email to The Concordian. “It is impossible for us to even make an estimate of the situation considering the magnitude of it.”
Speaking to reporters last Friday, Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said his patience had run out with the annual march, and indicated that he was prepared to look at “all options” on how to deal with future demonstrations in Montreal’s downtown core.
The mayor’s press attache, Darren Becker, told The Concordian that the city has been tabulating the costs of the recent protests, and plans to make an official request to the provincial government for compensation.
“Montreal is the metropolis of Quebec and the provincial government must ensure that the city has all the means necessary to deal with these public demonstrations,” he said. “Once we finalize the costs, we will inform [Quebec City]. In other words, no official request for compensation has been made yet. The city plans to though.”

With files from Marilla Steuter-Martin.

Categories
News

The strike is on

Students vote to strike in H-110 March 7. Photo by Navneet Pall.
Students vote to strike in H-110 March 7. Photo by Navneet Pall.

Concordia undergraduate students are officially on strike as of this Thursday, following a general assembly vote last Wednesday organized by the Concordia Student Union.

But according to a statement sent to students on March 9 by Concordia Provost David Graham, the strike is not actually a “strike,” and no student can be forced to participate.

“The term ‘strike’ is specific to employees who have a collective agreement with an employer. Students are not bound by an employee collective agreement and, therefore, are not eligible to ‘strike’ and cannot be forced to do so by a student association,” he wrote.

He emphasized that it is up to the individual student to decide whether or not they wish to attend class. Graham also reminded students that by missing evaluations or handing in assignments late, they can still be subjected to academic sanctions. He said it is students’ responsibility to work out their academic standing with their professors.

Last Wednesday’s general assembly got off to a rough start, after it began an hour late due to slow registration and technical difficulties with the live stream. Students filed into the four designated areas, H-110, the 7th floor Hall lounge, the LB building and Loyola’s The Hive, making for an estimated 1,500 students in attendance, out of a possible 35,000 undergraduates.

“This is the largest general assembly that has ever happened in Concordia history by far,” said CSU President Lex Gill at the time.

After a moderated discussion, the final vote was announced as 1,152 in favour of the strike and 557 against.

Students also voted on two amendments from the floor, one to change the dates of the strike from March 22 to 29, to March 15 to 22, in order to present a more timely opposition to the provincial budget on March 20, and the other indicating that students would not be permitted to blockade building and classroom entrances. The last amendment is something that will be difficult, if not impossible, for the CSU to enforce, said VP external Chad Walcott.

At Loyola, the mood was visibly different than what was transpiring downtown. There were no accusations of bias hurled at CSU VPs Morgan Pudwell and Melissa Fuller, contrary to what happened with Walcott downtown.

During a question and answer period, one student complained that not enough advertising for the strike vote had been done at Loyola, something Fuller said she worked hard on.

“As a Loyola student and as VP Loyola, I always feel I could do better. I wish we could have gotten as many students as possible involved. I held an information session with all of Loyola’s member associations, and had them send the information out to their people,” she said. Posters had also been placed on walls around campus.

Confusion was prevalent during most of the meeting in all four rooms, as students were constantly asking what they were voting on, and if it was now time to vote in favour or against. Some students were also frustrated with the voting process.

“This process is undemocratic, because most students can’t come to vote,” said cellular and molecular biology student David De Longchamp, who also said he’s against the strike. “Having two to three days where people can just vote with ballots, that would be a lot more democratic.” The CSU’s bylaws stipulate that for general assemblies, a vote by show of placards is required.

The new strike period will be in direct conflict with polling for the CSU’s general election, happening March 20 to 22.

“At first I was very worried,” said Gill of the scheduling conflict. “It’s worded very clearly in the motion that people won’t be blocking access to buildings. It’s reassuring on the point of the elections that people will be able to get in and vote.”

Despite the overwhelming majority vote, not all students were pleased with the outcome. Bjorne Rodal, a political science student, said that though he understands where his peers are coming from, he doesn’t support the cause.

“Students should pay for the service they’re provided,” said Rodal.

The Graduate Students’ Association also voted for an unlimited general strike on March 6, which was set to begin this past Monday.

Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota explained that though the university has not announced plans to add additional security during the upcoming strike, they have been monitoring protest activity and will continue to do so.

“Each event is different and each poses different challenges. It’s impossible to speculate on how each will be handled,” she said.

There was no date in the actual motion to hold a vote to prolong the strike past March 22, but the resolution does state that students have the ability to call another GA if they so choose. Gill said that most likely the CSU will not hold another vote to renew the strike, unless called upon to do so by students.

A petition is set to begin circulating this week demanding that the Arts and Science Federation of Associations call a GA of its own to vote on the strike. In order for the petition to be accepted, it would require 2.5 per cent of the regular members, so approximately 375 signatures. A date for the proposed GA has not yet been set.

The petition has been endorsed by Cassie Smith, former CSU judicial board chair, and CSU councillor Irmak Bahar.

With files from Joel Ashak.

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