Quebec students fight tuition hike

Students in Quebec say they'll continue to protest tuition fee increases despite what they call unprecedented police repression.

Pepper spray and Taser guns won't stop students from fighting the province's $50-a-semester tuition fee hike, said the association representingcollege and university students (ASSE), whichis spearheading widespread strikes this week.

More than 100 students who barricaded themselves inside post-secondary institution CEGEP Vieux-Montral on Tuesday night to protest tuition hikes were arrested despite what ASSE said was a peaceful action.

Students built a towering barricade in front of the Ontario Street college with chairs, plywood, vending machines and a toilet, but refused to leave the premises until police arrived.

ASSE spokesman Hubert Gendron-Blais said policeused cayenne pepper spray and Tasers to break up the demonstration, even though students were not acting violently.

Officers arrested 102 students, who were booked oncharges, including public mischief, assault and battery, and armed assault, before being released.

No one was injured during the overnight protest, but police said the CEGEP property was damaged.

CEGEPs and university students are planning widespread protests across the province this week to protest the tuition fee increase.

Students in Montreal, Quebec City, Sherbrooke and Gatineau plan to take part in a three-day strike, which includes a province-wide protest planned on Thursday.

Around 600 students at the Universit du Qubec en Outaouais (UQO) in Gatineau began picketing and boycotting classes on Wednesday and planned to continuestrike action for thenext two days.

On Monday, police was called twice to the Universit du Qubec Montral (UQM) to break up strikers who barricaded themselves inside the school around 11:30 p.m.

Students are alsoasking the provinceto bump up funding for higher education and create a daycare system for students with children.

Education Minister Michelle Courchesne said the $50-a-semester tuition increase is non-negotiable.

On Wednesday, she called it a reasonable increase, adding the government topped up student financial aid programs to offsettherise in tuition.

Students should be in class, not on strike, Courchesne said.

Students want more than pat answers to their demands, and theirresolve is strong, said Guillaume Potvin, a spokesman for striking UQM students. "Apparently, she is (ignoring our) questions without even answering them."

"We're going to take measures during the year to get minister Courchesne to answer our question properly."

Students are ready to escalatepressure tactics, including a possible general unlimited strike.

"We are trying for a gradual increase in the number and radicalism of the pressure tactics, in order to obtain a better bargaining position with the government," Potvin said Wednesday.

Plans for a broader strike appear to have limited support among Quebec students. Only half of UQM's 40,000 students are on strike, while several student associations at other major Quebec universities, including McGill, have so far balked at the idea of an open-ended walkout.

Quebec students last organized a major strike in the spring of 2005 to oppose plans by the Quebec Liberal government to cut $103 million from the province's loans and bursaries program.