“Same crisis, same fight, France shows us the way”: the protest of French high school students also finds an echo in Canada

On the evening of Thursday, November 5 in Montreal, while the French demonstrators had all long since returned home, solidarity with French high school students was displayed in the streets. In Quebec too, the lack of resources in education and the high cost of living fuel anger. Students are preparing for a mobilization of at least five days, starting Monday, November 9.

In the meantime, they gathered Thursday evening to express their solidarity with French youth. "To demand the end of austerity, we need, as in France, mass mobilizations, testifies a demonstrator. We also see that the same thing is happening here in Quebec. Our schools are also collapsing, our public services are collapsing." A little further on, a demonstrator leads the others with a megaphone: “Same crisis, same fight, France shows us the way.” The group takes up the slogan, which we also see written on signs.

The same demands as in France in higher education

But here, the protest is mainly carried by higher education students. Frédéric, represents those at the University of Montreal: “The concrete examples are people around us who will have to skip meals to pay their rent,” he assures. Students are therefore demanding more resources for higher education, but also scholarships that allow them to live and an end to budget cuts.

From Monday, five days of strike will allow them to measure their strength against the new independence government which has barely come to power. With the aim of a possible unlimited general strike this winter.