• Listen to this segment

• Listen to the entire program

After nearly ten years in office, the premiere of Canada’s Quebec province, Jean Charest, could be voted out in today’s elections. Charest is a member of Quebec’s Liberal Party and polls show that he is set to lose to the student-favorite, Parti Quebecois (PQ). Quebec and its largest city, Montreal, has been the site of mass student protests and strikes since mid-February, in response to the Charest government’s announced plans to raise tuition by 75% over the next five years. In order to lessen the growing wave of strikes, the Liberal Party quickly passed into law emergency Bill 78 which imposes heavy fines on groups that try to stop classes. The law, now known as Special Law 12 also allows for police presence in demonstrations of 50 or more people.

If elected in today’s provincial elections, the Parti Quebecois has vowed to stop tuition hikes and end Special Law 12 which opponents say tramples on students’ right to assemble.

Despite a lull in protests over the summer, students last week disrupted several classes with loud noises, drumming, clapping, and singing. On Monday a total of 11 protesters were detained by police at University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM) and on Tuesday physical clashes between students and security guards at Montreal University ensued. In response to last week’s protests, PQ leader Pauline Marois urged students to vote instead of disrupting classes, while reiterating her commitment to abolish Special Law 12. Meanwhile, another group of students filed a class action lawsuit against the government and universities to be compensated for their lost time due to the strikes.

GUEST: Courtney Kirkby, News Director at CKUT Radio in Montreal

Visit www.ckut.ca for more information.