Quebec students, government to resume negotiations day after 84 arrested
MONTREAL - Student leaders are set to resume talks with Quebec's provincial government this afternoon in a bid to finally end months of disruption and nightly demonstrations.
None of the media savvy student leaders would disclose the content of discussions held over eight hours on Monday.
Meanwhile, hardline student group C.L.A.S.S.E. says Quebec City police must stop mass arrests, after two negotiators were reportedly among 84 people who were removed from outside the building where talks were held Monday.
The group said a negotiator named Justin Arcand had yet to be released from custody, but a source said only one negotiator was held and later released.
While riot police deployed in the provincial capital were kept busy after talks ended for the night, several demonstrations wound peacefully through the streets of Montreal, resulting in no arrests.
The evening started with a group of lawyers dressed in their courtroom gowns parading in silence from the city's main courthouse through the streets of Old Montreal.
In Quebec City, the head of the group representing college students left the Monday's meeting unwilling to comment or provide any firm indication that progress had been made.
"You know that the climate is fragile with the government, if we can avoid things going badly tonight I think it's in everybody's interest," Leo Bureau-Blouin told protesters before the police moved in.
It's unknown what type of proposal was presented by Education Minister Michelle Courchesne to end the crisis that was ignited nearly four months ago by a plan to increase tuition fees by $254 annually for seven years.
Talks had broken off when the government tabled emergency legislation aimed at controlling the protests.
The move appears to have backfired, however. Festive and largely peaceful demonstrations have spread to other cities — in some cases even outside Quebec and Canada.
Students said they expected the government to retreat on tuition fees and on the emergency law, Bill 78.
But the young leaders said they wouldn't feel pressured this time to accept a deal following all-night negotiating sessions that could ultimately be rejected by voters at student assemblies.
As they resume negotiations today, protesters in Ottawa are set to lend their voices of support to Quebec students.
Joining major student organizations will be the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the Canadian Auto Workers' union and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.
The 6 p.m. gathering starting at Ottawa's Confederation Park this evening will precede a 36th consecutive night of demonstrations through the streets of Montreal.
