Montrealers took to the streets Saturday to stand in solidarity with high school students in France who protesters say are facing “detestable” conditions.
Since mid-September, high school students in France have taken to the streets calling for education reform, saying conditions in their schools deteriorated dramatically following the summer break. They say schools are under-resourced and they are experiencing a shortage of staff.
“Nobody should have to work this hard to do what they want to do in life and students in France, all they want to do is learn,” Amara Grant, a young Montrealer, told Global News at the protest at Phillips Square Saturday.
The movement has since grown to protest the high cost of living and critique the social welfare funding.
Similar protests have sprung up across Europe, including in Greece, Belgium and Albania.
Protesters in Montreal say they stand with the students across the ocean, but also want to reaffirm the rights of people in Quebec.
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“I think the society in Quebec like in France is drifting towards the right, more repression and threatening the social gains that have been in the past in terms of freedom,” Yves Hupé told Global News.
“The vision of the society that we defend actually is true for France, but it’s true also for Quebec.”
The activists say young people globally are struggling with the cost of living and other crises that should not inhibit their ability to pursue their future goals.
“The system we have right now is not working for us, we can’t afford to feed ourselves, we cannot afford an apartment, we can’t afford anything right now,” Rebecca Bibeau told Global News at the demonstration.
But they also have concerns about confrontations between protesters and police.
French officials say there were at least 166 arrests at demonstrations across the country Saturday. Thousands of arrests have occurred since the protests began and hundreds have been injured.
The Associated Press reported that police used tear gas to push back people wearing hoods and masks and throwing fireworks and other objects at officers in Paris. A large number of riot police were deployed in the area.
President Emmanuel Macron appealed Friday for calm. “There is a constitutional right to protest and to express oneself,” he said in Brussels. “But this right comes with the need to respect. Respect for people, respect for property, and therefore a commitment not to insult or destroy.”
But activists in Montreal say allegations of police brutality are also making the headlines.
“When they try to protest and they try to change their state of being, their state education system, they’re getting beat up by the police,” Grant said.
Amid these tensions, Montrealers say the Canadian government should not be complacent, and that they will continue to put the heat on elected officials.
“We are the people, we outnumber you, you have to listen to us,” Bibeau said.
– With files from Global News’ Phil Carpenter and The Associated Press
Speaking of complacency… Let’s talk about those Liberals…
Ms. Buckets politics is no place for platitudes and histrionics. Fact is anybody living today is still living at the aboslute apex of human society in terms of health, access to education, equality, basically any measure that matters
France has dulled some sympathy for their riots by protesting just about anything, almost every week for as far back as anyone cares to remember
Our youth have reason to be upset. We have let them down.
@Ben
Do you remember what happened after the teachers were sent back to work? Your type went into full offended mode, threatened a general strike, and tried to recall several MLAs. But they all quickly fell apart. No support for a general strike. Pathetic recall numbers.
Why, because public opinion was overwhelmingly against the Teacher’s Union. Several unions (including mine) settled for similar or lower packages because, even though we all want more money, we also need understand the size of the pie is limited.
Thank goodness socialism has its limits in the soon to be country of Alberta.
C’est tous les jours avec nous sommes.
Zout alors. Beigne. Une Beigne. Avec le frosting…
Camenbert
Jus d’orange
Cafe au Lait!
Baguette…
@meme 612pm. With respect, teachers and their supporters peacefully protested until the UCP government took away their rights and imposed a settlement. Notably, the UCP used the Notwithstanding clause to CRUSH the rights of teachers. Why would one protest when you have a government that doesn’t follow democratic norms?
Of course protestors in France have a right to protest. But they have used violence to get their point across. We must follow the rule of law unless this is an issue of rights or oppression-which the demonstration in France is not. As well, I deplore the police violence against protestors-it’s over the top.
Burn everything French ! Bravo
Oh, hey bigot… You should probably interview people that are not Asian or Middle Eastern if you want me to think anything beyond weak leftists and terrorist sympathizers are to blame.
Elbows Up Canadians must be the most complacent around. Quebecers had a chance to kick out Trudeau /Carney Liberals but choose for more pain. Don’t complain now.
and you just keep letting them take over your streets to “protest” i wonder why the East is failing, falling to the protesters? we dont have this in Alberta, maybe because we have Real Police here, that deal with these “people”.
Just a bumch of nobodies desperate for attention