March 22 tuition fee protest 8

March 30, 2012

March 22 tuition fee protest 8

"It's a movement." Polls have remained split on the issue of the fee increase, showing a near 50/50 split in public opinion about fee increases. Momentum seems to be behind the students though, with broad swaths of society opposing the hikes. This ranges from unions, to community organizations, to artists, to a 10,000 person strong support rally that saw parents and grand parents hitting the pavement. The division is also seen across age groups: polls show that Quebeckers from 18 to 54 are opposed to the increase, with the only age group with a majority in favor being those 55 years old and up.

Student leaders are also talking about this becoming a broader movement. On April 1, buses paid for by student groups will be traveling from across the province to Alma, QC, for a support rally with Rio Tinto Alcan employees who have been locked-out fro the past to months.

"After today, the fight against tuition hikes should never again be depicted as a student struggle. As of today, the fight against tuition hikes should be called by its name: it’s a popular movement, it’s a class struggle!" said Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, one of the spokespeople for CLASSE, at a free concert following the March 22 demonstration.