Police State Law Banning Protest Leads to Violence in Montreal

Following the adoption of legislation by the government of Quebec to roll back civil liberties and prevent students from protesting against tuition hikes, Montreal experienced two nights of violence over the weekend. Three hundred people were arrested on Sunday night.

Although the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec and the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec plan to challenge the draconian law this week in court, its implementation by the National Assembly Friday night reveals that the Quebec government is determined to shut down protest over severe tuition increases.

“This is much larger than just tuition fees, this law attacks our freedom and the foundation of our society,” said Marc Antoine Cloutier. More than 150,000 people have signed a petition opposing the new police state legislation.

“We have serious concerns about this bill and the bill infringes many of the fundamental rights of our citizens,” added Louis Masson, Bâtonnier of the Bar.