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Thousands of students to protest austerity measures

WATCH ABOVE: Students have promised to take to the streets in weekly anti-austerity demonstrations. Global’s Elysia Bryan-Baynes has more.

MONTREAL – Students in Quebec aren’t happy with many of the government’s choices and they’re ready to head into the streets again to get their message across.

Thousands of students are expected to go on strike in what they’re calling Maple Spring 2015.

READ MORE: Costumed activist fighting bylaw that bans masks at protests

Weekly, noisy anti-austerity demonstrations could be the norm in Montreal starting March 21.

Around 30,000 students in Montreal, Quebec City and Chicoutimi have voted to go on strike.

READ MORE: Women march against austerity in Montreal

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Another 100,000 have yet to vote on whether they will walk out on class.

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For now, two Saturday demonstrations are planned.

That mandate may continue depending on the outcome of the first two protests.

WATCH: Aftermath of Maple Spring 2012

Students said they’ll be marching in solidarity with all the public workers, whom they believe will end up on the losing end of the Quebec Liberal government’s cuts.

Friday, student unions from UQAM and Université de Montréal told reporters they’re not officially organizing the protests and cannot speak to how rowdy or violent they may get.

They did insist that their main goal was “to be heard.”

READ MORE: Protesters converge in Quebec City, Couillard government not impressed

“This is a social movement that workers are working on for a long moment,” said Stephanie Thibodeau, student protester.

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“The students have been starting this movement since the fall and it’s been going through all that time. So, of course this isn’t only about students. Workers are in need. A lot in education, a lot in services.”

After the two protests, students will decide whether to continue their strike.

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