On April 25, Quebec education minister barred studen coalition CLASSE from participating in the talks. This was a clear provocation. Thousands of students responded by marching on the streets.
Education Minister Line Beauchamp had refused to even sit down with representatives of striking students until the movement against increased tuition fees had already entered its 11th week. She had also tried to divide the movement by refusing to allow CLASSE into the negotiations and then demanded a "denunciation of violence" on the part of CLASSE as a precondition for allowing them in. In a clear attempt to provoke a break-down of talks she further demanded from the student organisations a 48h truce on all "economic disruption" actions.
The excuse Line Beauchamp used to expel CLASSE from the talks was a small demonstration which took place on Tuesday, April 24 and which ended up in clashes with the police and destruction of property. She argued that this violated the truce. However, CLASSE had not called this demonstration, it had been called by those who were against participating in any talks and who opposed the truce! In any case, who is the education minister to dictate what actions can the movement take or not?
The removal of CLASSE from the talks was clearly seen by the movement as yet another strategy to sabotage any negotiations. The other two organisations, FEUQ and FECQ also walked out in solidarity with FEUQ reiterating an earlier offer of including two CLASSE representatives amongst their delegation.
A hastily organised demonstration in Montreal attracted over 10,000 students the same evening of April 25. The demonstration was angry and militant but peaceful. Once again, the police used the violent actions of a small minority to charge against the students. Rioting then ensued resulting in 85 arrests.
A decent account of events can be found on the McGill daily which also has a good picture gallery:
This video provides an excellent aerial view of the demonstration, giving a clear idea of its size. This is another video report of the demo worth watching.
As the comrades of the TMI (International Marxist Tendency) in Quebec have insisted, faced with the refusal of the ministry to even negotiate seriously, the only way to escalate the movement is to involve the trade union movement in a campaign towards a 24 hour general strike. Sympathy and support for the students' movement is strong, not only in Quebec but throughout Canada, as shown by the report of a $10,000 donation to the movement by CUPE 3906 general membership meeting yesterday. CUPE 3906 organises contract academic workers at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON. We have also received a report of another donation of $20,000 from CUPE 3902 which represents academic workers at the University of Toronto. This support must now be translated into concrete action.