Student protest has far-reaching consequences.
by Bill Tieleman
This isn't a student strike, it's a society waking up.
– Montreal protest banner, June 2, 2012
As the "casserole" protest with banging pots and pans took over Montreal's historic Mount Royal Avenue, first it was Dollarama store clerks who came out to applaud the marchers. Then it was bartenders and servers standing in their doorways to cheer on 7,500 protestors braving the Saturday afternoon rain.
They oppose not just a 75 percent tuition fee hike for students but also the Quebec Liberal government's draconian Bill 78, legislation that makes demonstrations of more than 50 people illegal unless police approve in advance.
Next came chefs from patisseries in white uniforms, bringing their own kitchenware to add more noise to the rally. Residents joined in, unfurling red blankets out apartment windows to match the trademark red square (carre rouge) on protestors' clothing — the official sign of support for students.
But the biggest applause came when several nuns in blue habits came out of their church to support the march.
Whatever happens in the biggest and longest student protest in North America in decades, it's clear Quebec faces significant change that could defeat the Jean Charest government.
And the protest is no longer simply about tuition fee hikes that would increase per student costs by $1,625 a year — an annual jump of $325 over five years, according to government figures. That would increase Canada's lowest tuition from $2,168 to $3,793, plus mandatory institutional fees.
Through student activism, Quebeckers have now found a renewed collective sense of power.
Tuition is only the beginning. Through student activism, Quebeckers have now found a renewed collective sense of power, a way to display their anger at a government many see as tired, disconnected and scarred by allegations of corruption.
The Quebec protests may have significant impact here in BC and other provinces.
Quebec student debt is Canada's lowest, thanks largely to student militancy and public support that has kept fees down. If Quebec protests succeed in freezing tuition fees, BC students may ask why they pay up to double that province's rates for the same education.
The clanging of pots and pans may spread to Vancouver and other Canadian cities if students believe making a noisy "casserole" will save them thousands of dollars in debt — and if enough of the public agrees.
About Bill Tieleman
Bill Tieleman, president of West Star Communications, is one of BC's best known political commentators and communicators. Read political commentary from Bill every Tuesday in 24 hours, Vancouver's free weekday newspaper (also online) and in The Tyee — BC's award-winning online magazine.
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