University students and Quebec communities are joining forces this spring in anti-austerity and anti-hydrocarbon strikes and demonstrations.
Students from McGill University, Concordia University, and other student groups are protesting the Liberal provincial government’s austerity measures, which include extreme budget cuts, and hydrocarbon plans such as Enbridge and Energy East.
Amina Moustaqim-Barrette, vice-president (external affairs) for McGill’s students’ society, said austerity measures and hydrocarbon projects are “very prominent” topics in Quebec right now.
“We see these large fossil fuel companies trying to create infrastructure through our communities,” she said. “So it’s all kind of this intersection between these large corporations that are trying to impose themselves on these communities and destroy the environment without consideration of the citizens that live here.”
“On the other hand,” she continued, “there’s the provincial government that is making these huge cuts to the public sector in a province [where] obviously these public services [and] social services are extremely important and a great source of pride in this province.”
The Parti Libéral de Quebec plans to “reduce government spending by $1.9 billion for fiscal 2015-2016,” according to a press release.
“Part of the austerity agenda is to reduce the size of the state and to depend on more foreign investment for economic development in Quebec,” said Anthony Garoufalis-Auger, vice-president (external affairs and mobilization) for Concordia University Student Union (CUSU).
“[Demonstrating is] going to show that we are determined, and it’s going to show that we are sill capable of mobilizing . . . even for an issue that’s not specifically education,” he said.
According to the Liberal press release, “the government is continuing its efforts to fight climate change. It therefore announces, as part of the 2013-2020 Climate Change Action Plan, $350 million in assistance for Québec businesses to cut their energy costs while contributing to the development of greenhouse gas emissions reduction technologies and the promotion of the electrification sector.”
A committee named Printemps 2015 (Spring 2015) has been mobilizing and raising awareness along with unions, student and otherwise, in the province.
Groups on campuses are working together to mobilize students as well, including Solidarity Concordia and McGill’s Mob Squad.
Initiatives have also been planned by the student unions and societies. Concordia students held a teach-in week on campus from Feb 2-7 to encourage students to learn about the austerity measures and get involved with the mobilization.
“The biggest grievance is the fear that the education system is going to be . . . more privatized, and to basically be training schools for the private sector,” said Garoufalis-Auger.
Moustaqim-Barrette said students were uneasy about academic issues, but were also worried for the general public sector in Quebec.
“There’s definitely medical students who are very concerned about the health care systems who are also facing major cuts,” she said. “It’s been very brutal cuts.”
“I would hope that the billions of dollars that are being cut would be reversed, but I think that’s . . . wishful thinking,” said Moustaqim-Barrette.
“We would like to see [a response] as soon as possible — for [the government] to go back on the cuts and to pull back from the plans to implement austerity measures. But they’ve already begun, and this doesn’t seem like a battle that’s going to be won tomorrow . . . it’s the beginning of a larger popular struggle,” said Garoufalis-Auger.
