Concordia University students protest tuition hikes in Montreal

Concordia University students rallied outside the Montreal office of Quebec Higher Education Minister Pascal Déry on Wednesday afternoon, calling for his resignation — amid rising tuition fees for international students at out-of-province and English-language universities.

In a press release, the group Students Against Tuition Fees called the move “an ineffective and extreme measure of franchising”.

The Quebec government plans to raise fees at Concordia and McGill from about $9,000 to $12,000. This is despite a panel of experts recommending against it earlier this year.

Students are being mobilized from the fall of 2023. The protest took place in October, followed by a one-day strike in November, a three-day strike in late January, and most recently a week-long strike. united about 30,000 students in March.

The Quebec government has defended the tuition hikes, saying they were introduced in part because there are too many English-speaking people in Montreal.

Both Concordia and McGill said applications fell sharply after Quebec announced tuition hikes in October, and warned that it could cause enrollment to plummet and devastate their finances.

“The Concordia Students' Union (CSU) and the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) have made numerous calls to the government. These unions recognize the importance of francization measures but refuse to accept the CAQ's harsh terms. “Consulting students in policy-making is essential if the current government is to restore the relationship with the people it represents.”

– CityNews Montreal with files from Anastasia Dextren