Vol. 76/No. 30      August 13, 2012

Law 78 imposed restrictions on demonstrations and suspended the school year until August 17 at 14 junior colleges and universities where the student strike was centered. It aimed to put an end to a monthslong student strike across the province. Since February more than 4,000 have been arrested in the student demonstrations.

“Bill 78 restricts us from expressing ourselves in the streets,” Kraken, a student at Cegep (junior college) of St. Jerome, north of Montreal, told the Militant. “We have to defend our values and our rights against this government.”

Truck driver Keith Menezex, a member of the United Steelworkers, came to the action from Toronto with a busload of USW members. “Law 78 attacks democratic rights,” he said. “We are here to stand with the students.”

A July 19 report from Quebec’s Human Rights Commission said Law 78 violates Quebec’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The law requires organizers of demonstrations of more than 50 people to provide police details of the time, duration and route eight hours in advance; bans actions from taking place near any educational institution; and imposes heavy fines for any violation.

A statement by the construction wing of the CSN, one of Quebec’s main union federations, issued just after the law was passed pointed out that “this law could indirectly attack a mobilization we might decide to lead during negotiations.”

Soon after the July 22 demonstration began, city cops declared it illegal since the organizers refused to furnish the route to the police. But the police decided not to enforce their declaration.

A coalition of student, labor and other organizations is challenging the law in court. Moves to have sections of the law suspended while the courts debate the challenge were rejected July 23 by the Quebec Court of Appeal.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home