(MintPress) – Continued months of protest in Montreal, Quebec, Canada against proposed college tuition hikes that would increase the cost of college by as much as 75 percent over the span of seven years have forced government officials to propose legislation that would call off the remainder of the spring semester at facilities halted by protests. Protesters argue that a spike in tuition – from the current rate of $2,200 to $3,825 at the end of the increase – would make college less affordable, thus less attainable for many.
During protests Wednesday evening that spilled into Thursday night, 122 demonstrators were arrested as some smashed bank windows and become confrontational with police forces. The protests have drawn huge crowds in the past, with estimates at over 300,000 participants since the turn of the year, both students and parents. Protesters have targeted school operations by marching outside college and university entrances and down building hallways while classes are in session.
On Wednesday, protesters stormed into the Universite du Quebec a Montreal, breaking up classes and disrupting those in pavilions. Reports also say some protesters grabbed female students and damaged desks and tables by jumping on them.
Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s legislation relieves the disruptions made by protests by suspending the spring semester at select universities and implementing a fine system that would force protesters and groups to pay out of pocket for disruptions. The proposed bill would fine student protest leaders anywhere from $7,000 to $35,000 and union or student federations $25,000 to 125,000 if someone is unable to enter an educational institution because of demonstrators.
New legislation also looks to ban protesters from wearing masks, as police have cited that many of the damage and problems in the city are from those wearing masks. Jacob Levy, professor of political theory at McGill University in Montreal, said the move would create an unfair target of those who choose to wear masks while protesting.
“If someone is burning a car, if someone is smashing a window, and they’re wearing a mask, the mask could be an aggravating factor, but the police already have plenty of authority to arrest and prosecute that person,” Levy told CBC News in Montreal.
Quebec officials say the tuition increase is necessary in order to help curb a $2.4 billion budget shortfall and keep pace with college costs across Canada. Ontario currently charges the highest tuition for public colleges and universities at $6,640. Quebec says it simply wants to find a middle ground between its low tuition and Ontario’s high costs. Protesters argue that the increase is too much, too soon and does not give students enough time to properly save for school.
Protesters argue that the new legislation impedes on freedom of expression and unlawfully suppresses protesters’ rights.