by Lorraine Carpenter, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
A number of faculties at both McGill and Concordia universities in Montreal are on strike this week. As many as 21,000 students have opted out of class from March 11 to 15 and are planning to participate in a protest on Wednesday against the tuition hikes being imposed on out-of-province and international students at English-language universities.
“For decades, students in Quebec have fought against unjust tuition hikes and assaults by privatization, and we’ve won. But now, Legault wants to take us back to square one. This racist and xenophobic move is jeopardizing our right to education and everyone’s future!
“Join us in the streets to fight back! This is not just about us; it’s about future generations of students who deserve access to affordable education. Let’s show Legault and his government that we are united, we are strong, and we will not back down!”
This is the second joint tuition protest by students since the move was announced by the Quebec government in October. Last semester’s demonstration was called the Blue Fall Protest, a call-back to the famous Maple Spring protests of 2012.
This student strike follows joint legal action against the province by the administrations of Concordia and McGill, which have both seen a significant drop in enrolment this year.
The protest will take place at de Maisonneuve and Mackay on Wednesday, March 13, 3 p.m. For more details, please visit the event page.