In a festive atmosphere where the red was in the spotlight, from 100 000 to 200,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Montreal, yesterday, chanting their opposition to higher fees. By midday in bright sunshine, protesters converged at Canada Place, the gathering place. Fleurdelisés flags, large banners red, face painting, balloons and improvised songs, the mood was cheerful. Walking slowly set in motion at about 13h45, accompanied by the tunes of Loco Locass, Cowboy Junkies and the Trois Accords.
At some point, the packed crowd and colorful spanned nearly five miles. While groups are still shook Canada Place, the place of departure, others walked for over an hour already. Organizers estimated the crowd at 200,000 people, saying it was a "historic event", the ones who do not hope so. For their part, police officers talking to each other estimated the crowd at over 100,000 people.
The movement is far from dying out, said the president of the Quebec Federation of College Students (FECQ), Leo Bureau-Blouin. "Every day of the strike is becoming more profitable," he said, adding that "this event is not the end. This is the beginning of a new phase of mobilization. "
Earlier in the day, several pickets were organized in front of some houses and university colleges. High school students have done the same, including before-school Paul Gerin-Lajoie and Saint-Louis in Montreal. The Coalition for a wide student union solidarity (CLASS) for his part had organized an "economic disruption" in the Old Port by blocking access to trucks.
By late morning, tens of thousands of students, coming from all over Quebec, then converged on downtown Montreal. A dozen deputies from opposition parties walked with them by way of support, including the official opposition leader, Pauline Marois.
Young families and retirees were also among them. One of them, Eddie Dunn, remembers all too well that as a student, he had to choose the Normal School because the university was costing too much.
"I come from a poor background, he said, explaining that he feared the impact of higher tuition fees in disadvantaged areas. "You know, a poor reflex is not going into debt. It does not start in life as poor as his parents. "
Eloi Morin, MSc student at the University of Montreal, had proudly led his small Solayane, 5 months, the grand march. "We must show our discontent," he said adding that all citizens should be concerned about rising tuition. Many onlookers had gathered on sidewalks to watch the crowds go. Many proudly wore the red square and applauded the protesters.
One woman even through the crowd to shake hands with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesman for the CLASS. "I loved your response to everyone talking about it. Keep it up! "She said to him warmly.
Differences of Opinion
In the end, the tension rose slightly, but between the student organizations themselves. Protesters called for solidarity CLASS wanted to fork unsuccessfully protesters to a path not provided, before blocking the truck a few minutes ahead of the march. The demonstration ended Commune Street, opposite the Place Jacques-Cartier. The spirits were slightly heated when members of the CLASS refused the spokesman of the FECQ and FEUQ (Quebec Federation of University Students) mounted on the same platform they are.
Everyone was finally able to address a crowd superheated by two hours of walking. It is time to increase pressure, warned the spokesperson of the CLASS, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. "To move the government, it will have disturbing, we will need care, we will have it brews in Quebec." The struggle must continue, added the President of the FEUQ, Martine Desjardins. "It is we who will define what will be Quebec society of tomorrow, and we decided it would be much fairer and more equitable."
The crowd quietly dispersed around 17h. The police reported no major incidents. "There have been disturbing elements which are grafted to the group, but it did not cause any problems because the route was known. Police were able to block traffic to avoid the protesters are walking through the cars, "reported Ian Lafreniere, spokesman for the Police Service of the City of Montreal.