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Student strike against tuition hike #5
Fri, 2012-05-04 18:50
#1
Student strike against tuition hike #5
Fri, 2012-05-04 18:54
#2
Anyone who gets RDI (French version of CBC News Network) should have a look. In Victoriaville, riot cops have declared "illegal" the demo of about 1,000 students (my visual estimate) in front of the centre where Charest's "liberal" party is holding its general council. They just used tear gas and stun grenades to start clearing the crowd. The RDI reporter covering the event live was too close to a grenade and had to stop reporting a few minutes ago.
I wonder what the "liberal" delegates inside will think of the fascist swine protecting them outside. Every tyrant, or bootlicker thereof, can find ways to justify the most heinous crimes. Nice people get involved in genocide too. All it takes is context and self-interest.
Fri, 2012-05-04 19:37
#3
Boom Boom
How long is the meeting for? Maybe reinforcements will come in to swell the demonstartors in outrage over this.
Fri, 2012-05-04 20:07
#4
Student strike deepens political turmoil in Quebec
quote:
"What the students are up against is not just a price tag, they are questioning the philosophy of education put forward by the government, which is to say education is an investment and you have to pay your fair share," Pacom said.
This is exactly what motivates 31-year-old Melanie Millette to continue the strike. The doctorate student in communication at the Universite du Quebec a Montreal (UQAM) said she wants the province to maintain accessibility to post-secondary education for students without forcing them into debt.
"I don't know of any student who is happy to be on strike. We want the conflict to end because we'll be the first ones to pay the price for the strike. But we're fighting for something that's bigger than us," she said. "It's an issue that concerns the society as a whole."
Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, the charismatic leader of the CLASSE, the most radical student association, promised last month the strike would lead to a "much wider, much deeper, much more radical challenge of the direction Quebec has been heading in recent years."
Pacom stressed that over time the student movement influenced other segments of the population to air their grievances with the governing Liberals, notably over continuing allegations of corruption in the province and where Quebec society as a whole is going.
"The protest movement is part of a wider phenomenon, such as the Occupy movement, that stems from a widespread discontent," added the professor.
The province's major unions are now backing the student movement and they have given their associations $60,000 to fund their strike.
The students also received money from outside Quebec — at least two Ontario branches of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) gave in April the Quebec student associations a total of $30,000.
Quebec union leaders marched alongside students at the annual May Day march in Montreal, and on the same day, a group of 200 Quebec artists tabled a manifesto backing the students' demand for a tuition freeze and calling for more social justice in Quebec.
The artists are just the latest of a series of groups, such as teachers associations and community organizations, to stand behind the students.
"That's symptomatic of Quebec. There is a certain element in Quebec of people who are disenfranchised. They responded to the Occupy movement, they're responding to this in a way that they are protesting society in general," noted Bruce Hicks, a political science professor at Concordia University in Montreal.
"But as this has gone on, it has attracted a more moderate element who are just upset about the general direction of the economy, society and lack of leadership and so on. Now it's taking on a more legitimate social movement approach."
Some people, including official opposition Parti Quebecois leader Pauline Marois, have dubbed the student strike a "social crisis".
"The government is losing control of the situation," Marois said recently after a night of violent protest in Montreal. "The tensions are palpable, we are on the edge of the cliff."
In the past week, the demonstrations have been calmer, but the situation is extremely volatile and many fear a new burst of violence.
Charest's government also found itself in a hard place after its last offer to students, including extending the hike over seven years instead of five and beefing up student aid, was shot down in flames.
"I don't see how this could end well for the government," political image specialist Thierry Giasson said.
"It's rare to see a crisis of such magnitude near the end of the mandate of a government," added Giasson, who teaches at Laval University in Quebec City.
Charest is in his third term as premier and is expected to call an election in the coming year.
There has been speculation that he is preparing to go to the polls and would use the student strike as an election issue. Charest vehemently denied it, calling it "grotesque".
But his Finance Minister Raymond Bachand said Wednesday the conflict between his government and students who have been protesting against a tuition hike will be resolved in an election.
Bachand told reporters the government's proposal to end the dispute, with more bursaries for low-income students, has resolved the issue of accessibility and it is "an illusion" that a negotiated settlement can be reached since students are inflexible about tuition.
"There is one place to resolve this," he said. "That's an election."
The PQ also called for an election to resolve the conflict and vowed, if elected, that it would not raise tuition fees more than inflation.
Meanwhile, Simon Groulx, a political science master student also at UQAM, said many students like him feel a responsibility to continue the battle.
"Activists before us fought for workers rights, women's rights, and all sorts of minority rights. They didn't win their battle by voting, they came out in the streets and made demands. That's how major changes happen," he said.
http://www.canada.com/business/Student+strike+deepens+political+turmoil+...
Fri, 2012-05-04 20:17
#5
Boom Boom
"The PQ also called for an election to resolve the conflict and vowed, if elected, that it would not raise tuition fees more than inflation."
They don't get it, either.
Fri, 2012-05-04 20:33
#6
there's a riot going on right now, with tear gas and hurled stones and everything.
Fri, 2012-05-04 21:57
#7
They just used tear gas and stun grenades to start clearing the crowd.
[ETA: sounds like they were using CS gas tonight, causing nausea and burning sensations on skin]
These too:
How long is the meeting for? Maybe reinforcements will come in to swell the demonstartors in outrage over this.
Until Sunday.
there's a riot going on right now, with tear gas and hurled stones and everything.
I've read that the combination of broken windows and Liberal use of tear gas is making it quite unpleasant for the delegates inside.
Fri, 2012-05-04 21:58
#8
..phone video
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:01
#9
Quebec student protesters crash Liberal party summit
VICTORIAVILLE, Que. — It wasn't long after students descended on Victoriaville, Que., on Friday, that rocks and other projectiles were being thrown at police who responded with tear gas cans and warnings to disperse. At least two people were injured, one with a lacerated hand, the other with an injured leg. Many people were doubled over, coughing.
About 1,000 protesters turned up in the small city about 120 kilometres northeast of Montreal, to voice their discontent with Quebec Premier Jean Charest's Liberal government as the party's members gathered for a general council meeting.
The march began peacefully, but as protesters reached the hotel Victorin, they started shaking the security fence. A group of masked men started throwing rocks, projectiles and fireworks at police and the building, then moments later, breached the fence and were a few feet from the hotel where the Liberal party is holding its policy convention.
Surete du Quebec police fell back and about 200 riot police came in from all directions. After at least one warning on a loud speaker, police used tear gas to send the demonstrators back about 50 metres toward the street. The riot police then established a human barricade between the protesters and the politicians.....
http://www.canada.com/news/Quebec+student+protesters+crash+Liberal+party...
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:04
#10
Student protest at Quebec Liberal meeting turns violent
some video
A student demonstration in rural Quebec turned violent Friday night.
A provincial police spokesperson said several demonstrators and police officers were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Several hundred students are demonstrating outside the provincial Liberal Party's general council meeting in Victoriaville, a small town about 150 kilometres northeast of Montreal.
Windows in the building where the meeting is taking place were smashed in the student demonstration. Protesters threw cans, bottles and golf balls at a line of riot police outside the meeting. Police fired chemical irritants at the protesters.
Provincial police ordered everyone at the meeting to go inside and chained the exits shut.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/05/04/victoriaville-st...
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:05
#11
Apparently, one person had his/her ear "almost completely cut up"... Ugh.
One woman received a bullet (?) (rubber, I guess?) in her mouth and lost several teeth.
Four persons transported to emergency. One with a cranial trauma.
Of course, the guy on TV is mostly preoccupied with the tragic scene of a (completely armored up) cop being hit.
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:11
#12
..it will take a day or to two, maybe longer, to sort out what is occuring. meanwhile we are stuck with msm reporting.
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:17
#13
Surprise action for families and their allies!!
May 5th - 4:30pm Square Phillips (Metro McGill, St. Catherine/Union)
Potluck & singing along outside!
Calling all singers, circus artists, decorators and knitters, parents,
kids, workers, and students for this inter-generational action. Bring
toys, games, and art supplies!
4:30pm-5pm gathering
5pm-5:15pm march
5:15pm-6pm decoration
6pm-6:45pm dinner
6:45pm-7:30 circus and magic show
7:30pm-9pm outdoor movie screening - Le Roi et l'oiseau
You're invited to bring:
art supplies (chalk, paint, brushes, paper, yarn, clothes pins, scissors);
food or drinks to share;
picnic blanket, pillows (to be confortable for the movie);
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:23
#14
Le Délit français (McGill's French-language newspaper) reports that the bus they're in has been stopped by police and everyone in it has been arrested.
Are the Victoriaville police familiar with s. 9 of the Charter? (</rhetorical question>)
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:33
#15
The HR department is not pleased that workers at the Ministry of Education are wearing red patches at work and in public.
Les employés du ministère de l’Éducation doivent renoncer au carré rouge
Les employés du ministère de l’Éducation ont reçu hier un message leur demandant de renoncer au carré rouge. Dans une lettre, la direction des ressources humaines indique que quelques employés « arborent des symboles en lien avec la lutte étudiante contre la hausse des frais de scolarité lorsqu’ils sont sur les lieux de travail ».
Même si le ministère leur accorde le droit de s’exprimer librement, on rappelle aux employés qu’ils demeurent dans l’obligation de « faire preuve de réserve dans la manifestation publique de vos opinions. Cette obligation s’applique autant dans votre vie privée que professionnelle ». Une porte-parole au ministère a expliqué que des employés étaient mal à l’aise devant le port de symboles associés à la cause étudiante. C’est pour cette raison que la direction des ressources humaines est intervenue.
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:37
#16
Footage has come in from a different angle showing the cop tackling a protestor, and the successful de-arrest that followed.
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:41
#17
Boom Boom
The march began peacefully, but as protesters reached the hotel Victorin, they started shaking the security fence. A group of masked men started throwing rocks, projectiles and fireworks at police and the building, then moments later, breached the fence and were a few feet from the hotel where the Liberal party is holding its policy convention.
That group of "masked men" - any idea who they are? Provacateurs?
Fri, 2012-05-04 22:42
#18
Quebec student groups call for calm
Meeting will be the first since talks broke down two weeks ago
Quebec's four major student groups are calling for calm after weeks of turbulent public battles and fractured negotiations,
During a break from talks with the government in Quebec City on Friday night, representatives from each student group expressed concern over violent images they had seen and asked that both demonstrators and police cease violent action.
The students will continue the talks with the government over the weekend.
The government's chief negotiator, Pierre Pilote, convened the Friday meeting with the province's four major student organizations, including CLASSE....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/05/04/quebec-student-p...
Fri, 2012-05-04 23:08
#19
Fri, 2012-05-04 23:17
#20
Police have stopped some buses returning to Montreal. (Reports are the stopped buses are from McGill and Concordia. UQAM buses are apparently safe.)
Sat, 2012-05-05 00:27
#21
For the second time since the strike began a student has lost an eye to police violence.
Sat, 2012-05-05 00:58
#22
Bus of McGill-Concordia students arrested
Busloads of protesters traveled to Victoriaville, Quebec, arriving in the city this afternoon. Provincial police force Sûreté du Québec (SQ) had secured the perimeter of the hotel in which the general council took place.
Reports from the scene state that protesters pushed through barriers and threw projectiles at police lines. Rubber bullets, CS gas, and smoke grenades were deployed by the SQ. Ambulances were called to the scene, and at least five protesters were admitted to the hospital. Radio-Canada video footage also shows one police officer being hit by protesters.
Around 9 p.m., Concordia campus television station CUTV ended their live broadcast stating that the protestors were dispersing. Busloads of protesters began leaving the city; based on reports from _Le Délit_’s reporter on the ground, a bus carrying McGill and Concordia students was the last to leave. The bus was escorted back to Victoriaville by police, and passengers were placed under arrest. The passengers allegedly under arrest are unable to be contacted, but include a journalist from Le Délit.
An SQ officer who spoke with The Link confirmed that three buses had been arrested. The passengers were being taken off the buses in pairs, identified and questioned. The officer said that most would be eventually released, but it could be “some hours.” He said that he believed most would be charged, but could not specify what the charges would be. Those charged, he said, would be released and required to appear in court at a later date.
Students at the nightly demonstration in Montreal held a solidarity sit-in on Mont Royal and St. Denis for those who were arrested in Victoriaville.
Speaking to The Link, the SQ confirmed that three busloads of protesters have been arrested, and most may be charged criminally. The SQ stated protesters are being removed from each bus in small groups to be identified and questioned.
Sat, 2012-05-05 01:19
#23
..i thought this was brilliant.
May 3, 2012 - Naked March in Montreal
Description: On May 3, 2012, over 15,000 university students demonstrated in Montreal against a tuition fee hike. This increase will bring Quebec's tuition fee from $2,168 to $3,946 in 2019. Besides, some of these demonstrators were more or less naked.
Sat, 2012-05-05 10:24
#24
still strike?
Question: are you support or against tuition hike?
NDP platform says this party will be reduce tuition fees. So i guess I go with student strike against premier Jean.
Sat, 2012-05-05 12:15
#25
it might be that wholesale arrest mcgill and concordia students is good for the movement, since it's so clearly abusive and unneccesary, but my guess is that it couldn't be coincidental that the anglophones were the ones targetted, that's the surest way to de-legitimize this sort of thing in the eyes of the low-info non-college graduate. that said and as for the victoville protests themselves, point made and message received, great job! while a lot of average quebecers are annoyed at the students, little by little, as this strike grinds on, they're becoming more sympathetic, something like the demo yesterday only serves to reinforce the idea that the charest government = chaos and discontent. and on that, the unions definitely seem to be doing their part to link students' issues with a broader anti-liberal message, but the pq still hasn't showed up at all. they're certainly polling this stuff heavily and deciding that it's not a winning fight for them to jump behind, but one would think that the odd rebel caucus member would show up at one of these protests, kind of surprising. this is one of those things where they're just - again - proving how irrelevant and tone deaf they are, chasing the wrong votes.
Sat, 2012-05-05 13:24
#26
By way of contrast, have a look at the courage and leadership and direct participation of Amir Khadir, not just in supporting the students' demands, but in standing up for democratic rights in the face of riot cops:
[url=http://cutvmontreal.ca/videos/1037]MNA Amir Khadir (QS) almost arrested by Montréal police[/url]
[Note: That was from actions on the April 21 weekend at the Palais des Congrès, when Charest was touting his Plan Nord inside and mocking students outside being gassed and beaten.]
Sat, 2012-05-05 13:42
#27
A protester between life and death.
Words fail me.
Meanwhile: an agreement is apparently in the works. Parties (all of them?) are collaborating on writing a common text.
Sat, 2012-05-05 13:55
#28
I see you beat me to that. I'm just horrified. There are two other demonstrators with "severe" cranial traumas.
Sat, 2012-05-05 14:07
#29
An agreement has been reached. Infos to follow.
The student organizations will not be doing a press conference. Hmm.
Sat, 2012-05-05 14:13
#30
A student has lost an eye and is in coma. Not sure if it's the same person who's said to be between life and death.
ETA: seems to be a different person—said to be in a "stable" state.
Sat, 2012-05-05 14:21
#31
An agreement has been reached. Infos to follow.
The student organizations will not be doing a press conference. Hmm.
I can't think or comment right now about the injuries to demonstrators, while the delegates were cheering Charest inside.
As for an agreement being reached, Nadeau-Dubois made a comment yesterday about no agreement being possible unless fees are not increased in fall 2012. I'll look for the exact quote - but it sounded like a signal that CLASSE might be prepared to end or suspend the strike if there were a postponement (or moratorium) of the hikes, while further talks continue. Maybe it's just my too-long union experience looking for cryptic messages. But the PQ had also previously called for the hikes to be cancelled at least for 2012.
Short of that, I can't imagine all the student organizations agreeing to stop the strike without declaring total surrender.
We shall see.
Sat, 2012-05-05 14:21
#32
Some people on Twitter are saying that there is in fact no agreement. I guess we'll see.
ETA: this last bit of information seems to be coming from the FEUQ, who it appears would not be confirming the existence of an agreement as of yet.
Sat, 2012-05-05 14:41
#33
There's another demo going on right now in Victoriaville, at the Liberal general council. Estimates are 6-700 participants. You can see them arriving in the distance:
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:11
#34
Our post-secondary school system is fucked big time, so it is no wonder the Cons are trying to bring in foreign-workers at lower wages. And of course this is not a racist policy. Sure it isn't. 
Guidance counsellors in secondary schools are basically a waste of time.
For a better future these students would be much better off going into the trades, at least for 90% of them. Where else will you be able to eventually earn $100,000 a year and have no school debts.
I do agree however that schooling should be free to the students and paid for out of general tax revenues.
If young Canadians want to have a good future take a serious look at Germany. Now that is a country with a future.
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:28
#35
The strike is not over yet. The "proposition", which all student groups apparently signed on, will be submitted to members. Details of the proposition will be made public at 8 PM. (Unless they leak out earlier...)
Good news: doctors no longer fear for the life of the student who was said to be between life and death. Nobody is in a coma.
Bad news: one student has definitely lost an eye.
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:28
#36
..i wait with bated breath!
UQAM Sociologist Eric Pineault gives a message to Canada's anglophones
great video
UQAM Sociologist Eric Pineault's message to English Canada in regards to Quebec civil society uprising.
http://cutvmontreal.ca/videos/1102
quote:
One element that is new is the determination of the movement to continue on and on, even though day in day out columnists, editorialists and the media in general are supporting Charest’s position, publishing their supporters Op ed pieces calling for law and order, repression and painting the students as dangerous and violent terrorists. And this bullying is not working, the movement is evermore determined, and public opinion is less and less supportive of the government. This weekend will be a big test. The liberals are holding a strategic congress, which they have moved from Montreal to Victoriaville, a mid size town outside of the Monteal – Québec corridor. Hundred of buses have been reserved.
The pundits (like Margerat Wente’s ridiculous column this week, so Marie Antoinette….) have been predicting the implosion of the movement since March… they are so disconnected. The don’t understand the movement, nor the political culture that underpins it.
We are seeing a political rift in Québec society between those mobilized for change and a chummy and tired elite that is clinging to a model that people don’t believe in anymore. The students, some workers in the manufacturing sector, members of the northern communities, all are now mobilized against this government.
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:33
#37
Nobody's saying what the offer is, and I can't tell if the student group leaders looked disappointed or just exhausted at their 20-second press statements (they've been negotiating for nearly 24 hours, apparently). I am confused and pessimistic. Not sure how they expect to keep it under embargo until this evening if they're presenting it to students, though.
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:45
#38
..again with the boycott bullshit.
Quebec student leaders agree to end boycott
Quebec's education minister has confirmed that student leaders have reached a deal with the Quebec government to end the students' boycott of classes.
Quebec's four student groups, leading the fight against proposed university tuition fee hikes, have been in closed-door negotations in Quebec City with Education Minister Line Beauchamp and the head of the Treasury Board, Michelle Courchesne since 4:00 p.m. Friday.
So far no details of the agreement have been announced.
The announcement follows the news that one student suffered a serious eye injury as well as life-threatening head wounds during a demonstration in Victoriaville, Que. Friday night. He will need surgery. Another man is in hospital with non life-threatening head injuries....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/story/2012/05/05/students-group-t...
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:49
#39
Protester severely injured in Quebec tuition riot outside Liberal convention
quote
A protester lost use of an eye after he was wounded in a savage riot in Quebec that broke out during a protest over tuition increases, health officials said Saturday.
The demonstrator is one of two young men admitted to hospital with serious injuries following the violent confrontation outside a Quebec Liberal Party convention in Victoriaville.
The other man was admitted with fractures to his face and skull, along with a cerebral contusion.
A local health official, Josee Simoneau, also said Saturday that a woman was also hit in the face suffering serious injury.
In all, nine people were taken to hospital, including three police officers.
Quebec provincial police made 109 arrests in connection with the riot _ many of them after pulling over school buses that were returning late Friday to Montreal.
Nicole Lamy, a 51-year-old mother with two children who are taking part in the protests, blamed the escalation of violence on Premier Jean Charest's government.
``It's very sad to see this happen,'' she said. ``The contempt this government has shown students...''
Quebec provincial police, meanwhile, pointed the finger at a small number of people who chose to stick around after things turned violent.
``We never lost control,'' Capt. Jean Finet said at a Saturday news conference.
``Most of the people who didn't want that kind of thing to happen, they left.''
The Liberals moved their convention to Victoriaville from Montreal to try to get away from the protests rocking Quebec.
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/protester-severely-injured-in-qu...
Sat, 2012-05-05 15:57
#40
Conflit étudiant: une entente est conclue
(QUÉBEC) Une entente de principe pour dénouer le conflit étudiant a été convenue entre Québec et les quatre associations étudiantes, a annoncé le gourvernement samedi.
http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/dossiers/conflit-etudiant/201205/05/01...
google translate:
(QUEBEC) A tentative agreement to resolve the conflict student has been agreed between Quebec and the four student associations, Governement announced Saturday.
The representatives of the Quebec Federation of University Students (FEUQ), the Quebec Federation of College Students (FECQ), the Coalition off the Association for Student Labor Solidarity (CLASS) and the Table de concertation du Québec student (TACEQ) have all signed the agreement.
"To end the current conflict, we arrived at common ground between all parties involved. I salute the friendly nature of the exchanges that took place during the last hour, "said Ms. Beauchamp, in the press release issued by the government.
Student leaders refuse to disclose the contents of the government's offer. The striking students will vote on the bid meeting.
The main union leaders, Réjean Parent (CSQ), Louis Roy (CSN) and Michel Arsenault (FTQ), which were around the table, were satisfied.
President of the Federation of CEGEPs, Jean Beauchesne, who also attended the meeting, provides a return to classes of students who are on strike.
There are currently 164,508 students and college students on 485 832 on strike.
More details to come.
Sat, 2012-05-05 16:38
#41
I figured I could judge the quality of the offer by how smug Beauchamp looked at her conference. To me, she looked on the shaken side, but maybe that's just exhaustion.
Sat, 2012-05-05 16:39
#42
There are rumors flying around that (a portion of...?) the hike would be maintained but "compensated" by a reduction in ancillary fees ("frais afférents").
ETA: yep, this seems more and more likely. I wonder what the details are—I'm told a certain "devil" lies there. Really doesn't seem like it's a given that this is going to be accepted.
The thing is, however, that ancillary fees vary widely from one institution to the other. And often, they don't come close to reaching the 1778 number... We'll see.
ETA2: new rumor: on top of that, a 6-month moratory. Now this makes more sense.
Sat, 2012-05-05 17:41
#43
This is a real question. Not a troll. I just received an email from someone very senior in my Canadian operation. His question was very simple. "How do I know who was involved in this mess or do I simply have to refuse to hire anyone that is/was a student in Quebec this year?"
Wish this was a joke but it isn't.
Sat, 2012-05-05 17:54
#44
"How do I know who was involved in this mess or do I simply have to refuse to hire anyone that is/was a student in Quebec this year?"
Fair question. Tell him the safest course is to refuse to hire any current Québec students. No matter where they stand on the tuition issue, they all hate shitheads and are prone to sabotaging their operations.
Sat, 2012-05-05 18:06
#45
Unionist, you seem to think this is a bit of a joke. Fact is, this was a real question from a major Canadian employer.
And I'm not sure if these students have thought about what their actions mean to the students behind them. Since they (or at least the ones who are participating in this) won't complete their year, what happens to positions for students who are trying to gain entrance. Or doen't they count?
Sat, 2012-05-05 18:40
#46
Amir Khadir, MNA, speaks to Russia Today concerning the student movement in Quebec.
live
Sat, 2012-05-05 18:54
#47
Unionist, you seem to think this is a bit of a joke. Fact is, this was a real question from a major Canadian employer.
That's what worries me. It augurs poorly for the Canadian economy, having major employers who are driven by prejudice and ignorance.
And I'm not sure if these students have thought about what their actions mean to the students behind them.
That's the amazing thing about this movement. Many thousands of the strikers will be affected very little, or in some cases not at all, by the fee hikes, given the phasing over five years. The main beneficiaries of a victorious strike will be future cohorts of students who are now in high school or younger. The sheer selfless determination of the students is one of the most inspiring features of this movement. I can see how that would instil confusion and even fear in those who live only for themselves and who see society as their enemy.
Sat, 2012-05-05 20:23
#48
That's the amazing thing about this movement. Many thousands of the strikers will be affected very little, or in some cases not at all, by the fee hikes, given the phasing over five years. The main beneficiaries of a victorious strike will be future cohorts of students who are now in high school or younger. The sheer selfless determination of the students is one of the most inspiring features of this movement. I can see how that would instil confusion and even fear in those who live only for themselves and who see society as their enemy.
Hell, yeah!
Sat, 2012-05-05 20:31
#49
And please... let's dispense with trying to paint one of the most inspiring mass movements that this continent has seen in decades as selfish.
Sat, 2012-05-05 20:44
#50
There are rumors flying around that (a portion of...?) the hike would be maintained but "compensated" by a reduction in ancillary fees ("frais afférents").
http://1625canepassepas.ca/2012/05/resultats-des-negociations-la-feuq-so...
Sat, 2012-05-05 21:47
#51
http://www.mcgilldaily.com/2012/05/quebec-government-submits-new-offer-t...
The Quebec government said it would not reduce the impending tuition hikes set to and maintains its offer made on April 27. The offer would see tuition increased by $254 each year for seven years, resulting in a total increase of $1,778. However, the amount students pay would be offset by a reduction in ancillary fees.
From fall 2012 onwards, a hike of $127 per semester – amounting to $254 per year – would be offset by a reduction of $127 in ancillary fees per semester.
According to Martine Desjardins, the FEUQ president, ancillary fees consists of 20 per cent of students fees. She cited McGill students as paying around $1,000 a year in ancillary fees as an example.
To reach the offset, the government is to create a provisional council to look into ways of reducing university spending. The money that will be reduced by the council will be reinvested into universities to reduce student contribution. A permanent council is also to be established.
“We’re saying that it’s possible to free up billions and billions of dollars, and that money will be reinvested into students.” said Léo Bureau-Blouin, the president of FEUC.
“But the strike is not over. It’s going to be up to students to decide whether or not to accept the offer,” he added.