On Friday, November 16th, 150 students and supporters occupied the Montreal Stock Exchange at 8am for approximately an hour. An estimated 60,000 students from various universities and cegeps were on strike this past week in order to protest the lifting of the tuition freeze in Quebec, which has been in place for 13 years. Tuition is expected to rise 500$ over the next 5 years.

L'Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (ASSÉ), representing over 40,000 students from different student unions, organized the surprise action on Friday. Students successfully occupied the ground floor of the Stock Exchange, blocking the doors and elevators with overturned furniture and potted plants from around the building. They refused to allow any employees to enter any area of the building beyond the lobby. Police showed up minutes into the occupation and stationed themselves at all entrances, but did not enter the building. The cops patiently awaited the riot squad (whose response time was unusually slow, likely due to exhaustion from student riots which had occurred the three previous nights), and then held the doors open(?!) for the protesters who left around 9am, chanting "la police au service des riches et des fascistes".

The demo then took to the streets, chanting "Whose stock exchange? Our stock exchange!" and marched to a nearby cegep where a riot had taken place on Tuesday when 102 people had been arrested. They proceeded to re-occupy the building and reinforce the barricades around the school.

CBC News

Students in Quebec say they'll continue to protest tuition fee increases despite what they call unprecedented police repression.

Pepper spray and Taser guns won't stop students from fighting the province's $50-a-semester tuition fee hike, said the association representing college and university students (ASSE), which is spearheading widespread strikes this week.

More than 100 students who barricaded themselves inside post-secondary institution CEGEP Vieux-Montréal on Tuesday night to protest tuition hikes were arrested despite what ASSE said was a peaceful action.

Students built a towering barricade in front of the Ontario Street college with chairs, plywood, vending machines and a toilet, but refused to leave the premises until police arrived.

ASSE spokesman Hubert Gendron-Blais said police called to the scene used cayenne pepper spray and Taser guns to break up the demonstration, even though students were not acting violently.

Officers arrested 102 students, who were booked on charges, including public mischief, assault and battery, and armed assault, before being released.

No one was injured during the overnight protest, but police said the CEGEP property was damaged.

CEGEPs and university students are planning widespread protests across the province this week to protest a tuition fee increase.

Students in Montreal, Quebec City and Sherbrooke plan to take part in a three-day strike.

Education Minister Michelle Courchesne said the $50-a-semester tuition increase is non-negotiable.

On Wednesday, she called it a very reasonable increase, adding the government topped up student financial aid programs to offset the rise in tuition.

Students should be in class, not on strike, Courchesne said.

On Monday, police was called twice to the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM) to break up strikers who barricaded themselves inside the school around 11:30 p.m.