A massive march is planned today in Montreal to protest coercive legislation that makes it a crime to hold a demonstration. Aside from a few diaries posted by engreve recently, almost nobody is talking about the lengthy students strikes in Montreal over the past few months. These have been large, and largely peaceful, demonstrations to uphold the principle of public higher education as a social good.
Montreal police have responded with very heavy-handed tactics, and most recently, the National Assembly (the provincial legislature) passed Bill 78:
Under Bill 78, an organizer of a demonstration of at least 50 people must submit in advance to police the itinerary, date and time of the event. Article 29 stipulates that anyone who helps or encourages someone to violate the law is also committing an infraction and could be fined.
Read more: http://www.montrealgazette.com/...
The planners of today's march are predicting tens of thousands of protesters in defiance of Bill 78.
Quebec's most militant student group against tuition hikes vowed Monday to hold protests all summer long in defiance of Bill 78, the law that places limits on public demonstrations.
On the eve of what is expected to be another giant rally today at the Place des Festivals, CLASSE leaders announced that they will join other student groups in launching a legal challenge against Bill 78, the special law adopted last Friday by the National Assembly.
"We affirm today that we will refuse to cede to fear and intimidation," declared Jeanne Reynolds, co-leader of the Coalition large de l'association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante.
If student strikes of this magnitude had occurred in the US, they would have been extremely newsworthy, but because the strikes are largely (though not exclusively) conducted by francophone students, and covered in French-language newspapers, it's like they're not happening. This worries me, because the students are risking a lot. They've already had their classes suspended for the spring term. But they are also very vulnerable to a well-equipped police force that seems unsympathetic to their views, to say the least.
The Canadian press is stressing "violence" but from what I hear this is limited to a few in the so-called "Black Bloc," who are widely denounced by the strikers. (My feeling is that this group consists largely of provocateurs, in fact).
The vast majority of the demonstrators are peaceful, earnest, ordinary people who are resisting the inexorable march toward the privatization of higher ed. It's worth supporting them and paying attention to their march today, if for no other reason than that governments behave better toward their citizens when the world is watching.
5:47 AM PT: I forgot to add that there is a sympathy demonstration in NYC today:
TUESDAY, MAY 22 -- SOLIDARITY WITH QUEBEC STUDENT STRIKE
2pm: Demonstration in Solidarity with the Quebec Student Strike
*Outside Quebec government offices, 1 Rockefeller Plaza
*8pm:March Against Repressive Anti-Protest Laws Worldwide
Meet in Washington Square Park
This Tuesday, May 22, marks the 100th day of the ongoing Quebec student
strike, one of the largest student mobilizations in history. Last
Friday, the Quebec government enacted a draconian emergency law (Bill
78) intended to break the strike. The law outlaws public assembly,
imposes harsh fines for strike activity and effectively criminalizes
protest, just as the movement is escalating to unprecedented levels.
On Tuesday in New York City, we will demonstrate in solidarity with
Quebec students and in defense of our right to protest. An increase in
the powers of the police and the state anywhere is an attack on us
everywhere.
WEAR RED!
Organized by folks from Strike Everywhere and Occupy Wall Street