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
This comment section completely affirms my belief that Canadians today don’t stand a chance against Islam, if someone does not intervene on our behalf we will be seeing riots like this next.
I find it so hard to believe that people will look the enemy right in the eye and chose to ignore it. This will be our parks on fire, our schools alit, our wildlife ecosystems destroyed, your streets flooded, and your stores ransacked.
They don’t even have any demands, there are some who are raising valid concerns about the education system but that amounts to less that 15% of the participants in this riot. The overwhelming majority are foreign born youth electrified by opportunity and a cultural mindset that tells them they can do whatever they want without consequence.
Some here are defending this “protest” and encouraging it.
That is madness. Utter irresponsible madness and chaos that some people look at what’s happening in France and so willingly believe that its the right thing. Do any research I beg of you, this is not the way…
“Students” protest lack of education funding by mob assaulting teachers and burning down schools… Apparently also local store owners are to blame as they are being broken into a looted. Firebombing and chants about foreign wars ringing through the streets.
This is not some peaceful student protest, it is a migrant riot piggybacking of the suicidal empathy of the liberal party… And now its found its way to Canada…
It’s not a “student protest”, it’s a migrant riot.
Hey Bibeau sounds like a typical terrorist threat at the end of the article. You are talking about violence here for what is happening in another country. Violent protesters in France are getting what they deserve. Attacking police and first responders is unacceptable.
According to many reports, the students are being over run by immigrants who are creating the violence.
These are immigration riots spurred on by antifa and wogs
Major overreach by the police, and they are the reason the riots escalate. The students have the right to take to the streets. The politicians have easy, high paying jobs and everyone else is told to work for pennies.
French police are using stun grenades on kids that are protesting and are reacting by rioting as a result. Maybe police violence shouldn’t have been the first move against what was peaceful protest.
the problem is deficits
Not to worry Kaybec…as long as the Libs are in power you will continue to be showered with money
From the headline I thought the complacency referred to allowing those protests to move here. Let’s be honest, if they were about education they wouldn’t be damaging schools and attacking teachers. When I was a student we had a walk-out and protest against cuts, we didn’t go damaging anything or hurting people.
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