Infuriated students from across Quebec marched on downtown Montreal on Thursday afternoon to express their opposition to Quebec’s tuition increase which is set to take effect later this year, CBC reported
“If the government doesn’t announce a retreat on the [tuition] hike today, the next step will involve actions that disrupt the economy,” a major protest group posted on its Twitter page.
Police also clashed with the demonstrators and used chemical sprays to disperse the protesters.
The demonstration came two days after the government of Quebec Premier Jean Charest, refused to back down on the hikes.
Students have been holding almost daily protests over the past weeks, blocking bridges and major roadways in an attempt to ratchet up pressure on the government to force it into dropping the proposed tuition increases.
With an annual $325 hike in tuition, Quebec students would have to see an overall increase of $1,625 for the next five years. The proposed plan is scheduled to be effective from 2012-13 until 2016-2017 academic years