Student strike against tuition hike #3

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Thousands of students on campus have missed more than a third of their scheduled lectures and are currently in the seventh week of the strike. As the administration insists on the maintenance of a normal exam schedule, students and faculty that are affected by the strike continue to be left to their own devices. In an attempt to break the strike movement, the administration is refusing to provide any meaningful marge de manoeuvre to professors tasked with evaluating students who have not engaged in anything close to a semester of learning. Strikers are being penalized academically and financially for their political involvement.

The April 10 “Town Hall” meeting held by the University administration and President Lowy in response to an occupation of the administration office produced nothing of substance. Waiving of incomplete fees, and minor extensions to discontinue and grade submission deadlines, without refunding paid fees, and claiming this to be a comprehensive solution is an insult to strikers considering that the standard practice employed by other Quebec universities and CEGEPs is interruption of “business as usual” for the duration of the strike. We are sick and tired of this situation and ask for solidarity to build strength in numbers.

At this point, only a spontaneous response by the entire Concordia University community can produce significant results that no other negotiation, press release, media conference, dialogue with a handful of association representatives, Senate meeting, Board of Governors meeting, or Town Hall can ever rival. The success of this event will highly depend on everyone’s participation to make sure that the strike is effectively implemented.

In an effort to expand the debate to a campus wide level and to open up democratic spaces for discussion, we propose a General Assembly open to the entire Concordia community on Thursday April 26, 1:00 PM to decide on an immediate action plan in response to the intransigent attitude of the administration. The success of the action plan will be largely dependent on a high turnout of the Concordia community at large, students, faculty and staff. Everyone can participate in debates and discussion, and formulate demands and propositions that will be binding to the assembly. Priority speaking turns will be set to ensure that everyone is given a fair chance to speak and be heard....

http://concordiastudents.ca/general-assembly-of-the-concordia-wide-commu...

Great find, epaulo - was just about to post that!

Now, I really hope this works:

Watch this video of 500 high school students on strike at one school in Mtl today!

Everyone supports them - their parents, their teachers, even the head of the school - you'll see all of them interviewed here - plus students, one 12 years old. They're singing, chanting, and doing the limbo!

I think the revolution's near...

..here's a google translation of the amnesty statement.

Student conflict - Amnesty International Canada is seriously concerned by violations of the right to demonstrate peacefully.

Amnesty International calls on the Government of Quebec to find a peaceful solution to the student and stop resorting to means with potentially interfere with the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest.

We have seen the growing number of news stories, testimonies and reports describing police tactics at demonstrations, methods of arrest, vandalism and other forms of violence in some cities and universities in Quebec.
This information leads us to believe that the approach taken to provide security at events seems to have caused human rights violations associated with peaceful demonstrations and the normal course of law, including the right to freedom of expression and the right peaceful assembly and association and the right to protection against arbitrary arrest.

Thus, Professor, University of Quebec at Montreal, Paul Belanger, filed a complaint against the police of Montreal, after being beaten with batons, Friday, April 20, while demonstrating peacefully near the Palace Montreal Convention: "As soon as the police announced that the demonstration was illegal, they started running towards us. I do not run as fast as young students, which does not mean that I opposed any resistance to police, said Paul Belanger. "The people, he says, has the right to protest without being attacked by the police. "

We know that a great responsibility rests with governments and the police about safety at events that punctuate the student conflict. Governments must also be guarantors of the safety of persons participating in peaceful demonstrations and other public activities.

We condemn unequivocally the acts of assault, vandalism and other acts of violence perpetrated by certain individuals. Police have a duty to prevent such crimes and to arrest and charge those against whom there are reasonable grounds and probable.

Under international law concerning human rights, however, it is essential that security measures respect the rights associated with peaceful protests. Amnesty International is concerned that the tactics employed by police forces deal with some incidents of violence and peaceful protests, and the security measures adopted in some universities, raise troubling questions about compliance with these fundamental rights: excessive use of force by police authorities, and potentially arbitrary mass arrests, intimidation and profiling by security forces on the premises of the university.

"The government must, by words and deeds, reaffirming its commitment to respect freedom of association, freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate peacefully," said Beatrice Vaugrante, Executive Director of Amnesty International.
We also note an appeal to a process of judicialization through injunctions that require the resumption of classes. Although legal, these orders may jeopardize the right of association and expression of striking students. We are also concerned about the questionable use in certain situations to the Highway Safety Code that could undermine the right to peaceful protest.

Finally, Amnesty International Canada recognizes the right of protesters to try to peacefully protect the right to education. Amnesty reiterates its concern over rising tuition, which would undermine the progressivity toward accessibility for all and all the university curriculum, as understood by the general comments on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural which Canada is party.

With great respect, epaulo, I will not personally sign the petition in your last post, because:

1. There's no indication who has drafted it.

2. There's no indication as to when they plan to send the letter.

3. Requests for specific actions of solidarity should come from the students' organizations (CLASSE, FEUQ, FECQ) - otherwise, it's just anonymous interference in their plans. They're having a hard enough time coordinating their actions as it is.

4. The text is obsolete - it says the government is "refusing all dialogue", which is no longer true.

The students have been amazing so far - discussing and debating and voting on all their actions through general assemblies organized within the framework of their associations. My union, like virtually all others in Québec, has verbally and physically supported the students' actions. If we decide a one-day general strike is a good way of intensifying our support, then we'll approach the students' organizations and propose it - unless they propose it to us first. Any other way of doing things just doesn't work well, in my experience.

Breaking news:

Education Minister "excludes" CLASSE from negotiations - other two organizations suspend talks in protest

This two-bit thug Beauchamp tried from the start to split CLASSE from FEUQ and FECQ. When that didn't work, she has now accused CLASSE of advertisiing a demo that took place last night (a demo that CLASSE did not organize and had nothing to do with) where some vandalism allegedly took place. This, she says, violated the so-called "truce" which she had unilaterally declared as a "condition" of talks.

She has learned well from the Israeli Zionists.

This is very bad news, and it's hard to see how it will help the Liberals look like saviours so as to be able to prepare conditions for an election call. It's just another attempt to either divide or simply exhaust the student movement. The students will ensure that it fails.

ETA: Here's an English-language report.

CFL