Students mobilizations in Canada:107 days later and the struggle goes on!
One hundred and seven days later, despite the crackdown, repression, arrests (more than 1,000), despite the specific law to prevent struggle and all other operations of the Charest government to control student’s protest, the day and/or night mobilisations in Quebec not only are not being run out of steam, but they take a new turn.
As shown in the 100 days-manifestation in Quebec last Mai 22 with at least 250,000 persons demonstrating, students do not give up. And even if it was raining, never mind, people were still down in the streets of Montreal and this really cocked a snook at the government and at the same time it shows the strength of number. For the second day at a stretch, and although this event was technically illegal, the police have been careful to intervene as the day before …
Students movement in Quebec, in turmoil and various mobilisations, started three months ago, when the government had announced its plan to increase intuition fee by 75% in the next five years and 83% in seven years.
Since more than three months now, university and high school students are determined to continue and succeeded to break “isolation” and “gag” imposed by international mass media with the help of the local government of the prime minister Jean Charest. The emergency law that he imposed to suppress the movement had actually the contrary effect.
In fact, this struggle concerns not only tuition fee increase because It essentially turns against austerity politics imposed worldwide as a universal remedy for the capitalist crisis and reveal the criminalisation that bourgeois governments try to impose everywhere.
100 days after the start of the protests in Montreal – although essentially the struggle of students has started a year ago – on 22nd of May, was the biggest demonstration in the history of the city and Canada. The police formally announced “more than 100,000 “to participate, the newspaper « Globe and Mail » raised the number to 250,000 and the CTV television network, bidding and increasing the number of other protesters to 400,000. Demonstrations were also held in Calgary, in Halifax, Toronto, Vancouver and in solidarity to the Canadian mobilisation also in New York and Paris. Trade unions are long on the side of student’s associations who are at the forefront of the struggle, while the movement called “Occupy Montreal” has now joined students protesters. Essential feature of the giant demonstration of May 22 is that teachers unions and workers in secondary education and employees in urban transport joined the students as well.
The capitalist crisis intensifies the attacks. People intensify struggles, and organised is the only way to overthrow that barbarian and criminal system that exploits people and destroy their life starting from early school years. Class unity and solidarity are needed and our teacher is act, not only words so that we can to show our power. Acts are our criterion for all.A
chrysanthie Therapontos
