Protesters in downtown Montreal are taking to the streets to express their opposition to the Quebec government’s plan to double university tuition for out-of-province students. The protesters argue that the proposed tuition fee of $17,000 is unaffordable for students from other provinces. Alex O’Neill, a protest organizer and McGill University student who grew up in Montreal, emphasizes the financial burden this increase would place on out-of-province students.
During the protest, which spanned two city blocks, many participants wore purple, the color associated with Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Bishop’s University is the only English-language university in the province, outside of Montreal.
Sophia Stacey, the president of the student association at Bishop’s University, voices concerns about the potential closure of the institution if tuition fees for non-Quebec students are significantly raised. The Quebec government claims that the tuition hike is partly driven by a desire to protect the French language by reducing the number of English-speaking individuals in Montreal.
Catherine Bibeau-Lorrain, the president of Union étudiante du Québec, a student group representing 93,000 members from 11 student unions, argues that the proposed increase in tuition fees will limit access to education in the province.