The Biggest Student Uprising You’ve Never Heard Of

[Fire Walk With Me]

http://chronicle.com/blogs/brainstorm/the-biggest-student-uprising-youve-never-heard-of

On an unseasonably warm day in late March, a quarter of a million postsecondary students and their supporters gathered in the streets of Montreal to protest against the Liberal government’s plan to raise tuition fees by 75% over five years. As the crowd marched in seemingly endless waves from Place du Canada, dotted with the carrés rouges, or red squares, that have become the symbol of the Quebec student movement, it was plainly obvious that this demonstration was the largest in Quebec’s, and perhaps Canadian, history.

The March 22nd Manifestation nationale was not the culmination but the midpoint of a 10-week-long student uprising that has seen, at its height, over 300,000 college and university students join an unlimited and superbly coordinated general strike. As of today, almost 180,000 students remain on picket lines in departments and faculties that have been shuttered since February, not only in university-dense Montreal but also in smaller communities throughout Quebec.

[Downwinder]

1. They need to get Lt. Pike to help generate publicity.

[Canuckistanian]

2. Oh, it's big news here

It's just not getting international attention.

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. I am happy to help correct that.

Solidarity to all our Canadian brothers and sisters!

[Fire Walk With Me]

4. SPVM shoots demonstrator point blank with tear gas canister

[Initech]

3. 75%?????? Holy crap!!!

I can see why they're pissed!

[Egalitarian Thug]

6. K&R. It is spreading, no matter how many times they say it won't. n/t

[eppur_se_muova]

7. We don't pay no 'tenshun to furrin country's.

Had to link to the Ottawa Citizen to find out about it ... http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002590001

[Dont call me Shirley]

8. Didn't the journalist mean to say the NEO-liberal government

Same as the Neo-con meovement here in the US.

[starroute]

9. Things are getting rowdy up there

[Fire Walk With Me]

10. Cops should know better than to defend a 75% tuition hike. No-win.

At some point they have to just stay home, when their orders become too ludicrous!

[Lars77]

11. Having students encumbered with debt is a great way of curbing social movements

Make sure they keep showing up at those jobs where they are socialized into the cynical corporate world.

[lunasun]

12. Good point