(Montreal) Demonstrators gathered Friday noon in front of the offices of Prime Minister François Legault in Montreal in support of education personnel.
A little after 11 a.m., school buses full of strikers and supporters parked on Sherbrooke Street in front of the Prime Minister’s offices, in preparation for the demonstration.
At noon, hundreds of demonstrators decided to block traffic on Sherbrooke Street, corner of McGill College. “The more the CAQ despises us, the more we mobilize,” the demonstrators began to chant.
To the sound of horns and trumpets, several demonstrators waved red flags of the Autonomous Federation of Education (FAE), on indefinite strike since November 23.
The organizers wish to “make it clear to the government that it must reach a negotiated agreement now with the teachers. e. s and all those who work in public schools,” we can read on the event’s Facebook page.
“Because on January 8, Quebec children must return to school in a healthier education system! », we continue.
Several artistic personalities are expected to participate in this event, presented as a “major citizen gathering to save public schools”. Vincent Bolduc, Catherine Ethier, Simon Boulerice, Sophie Cadieux, Emmanuel Bilodeau, Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, Vincent-Guillaume Otis and Isabelle Blais are among them.
The co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, as well as two other deputies from his party, Guillaume Cliche-Rivard and Ruba Ghazal, confirmed their presence.
The 66,000 members of the FAE are on indefinite strike, while the common front threatens to follow suit at the beginning of 2024 if there is not sufficient progress at the negotiating tables.