Quebec students strike for free post-secondary education, 10-year anniversary of ‘Maple Spring’
Posted March 22, 2022 1:52 pm.
Last Updated March 22, 2022 6:55 pm.
A decade after the ‘Maple Spring,’ over 82,000 CEGEP and university students across Quebec are on strike – calling for free education at all levels.
A demonstration held at Place du Canada on Tuesday afternoon, with students from l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), l’Université de Montréal, and others.
March 22nd – to the day – marking 10 years since 100,000 students rallied in Montreal demanding a freeze on tuition. Their protests last for months in 2021 and was credited as helping bring down Jean Charest’s liberal government.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz – March 22, 2012)
The proposed increases at the time were blocked, but it was replaced with a yearly indexed increase, that makes access to post-secondary education more and more expensive and inaccessible, according to Gratuité scolaire, organizers of Tuesday’s event.
They say Quebec students pay on average $4,310 annually for post-secondary education.
In addition to free education, student associations will hold strike days throughout the week asking for internships to be paid and on the fight for climate justice.
The ‘Maple Spring’ protests saw key leaders from then-student groups run for provincial politics, including Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, co-spoksperon and parliamentary leader for Québec solidaire.
An evening demo is planned for Thursday at Parc Emilie–Gamelin as an ode to the many 2012 rallies that were held at night.
