Tens of Thousands of Students Launch Strikes Across Quebec Over Austerity
Student associations from colleges and universities are holding walkouts this week to demand financial aid reform, paid internships, and increased public funding for higher education.
Tens of thousands of CEGEP and university students across Quebec initiated strikes this week to protest what organizers describe as mounting financial insecurity and government austerity in education. According to the Coalition de résistance pour l’unité étudiante syndicale (CRUES), an estimated 70,000 students voted to walk out, with the majority participating in a full week of strikes from November 9 through November 13.
The mobilization has been building over the past year and a half, culminating in local votes where roughly 40 student associations approved strike mandates. While strike lengths vary by institution—with some groups opting for one-day actions—many faculties at universities such as UQAM, the Université de Montréal, Concordia, and the Université du Québec à Rimouski have scheduled walkouts lasting the entire week. Picket lines are expected outside multiple campuses, leading to canceled classes and altered schedules.
Students are pressing the provincial government for comprehensive reforms to student financial aid, including higher payout amounts and relaxed eligibility requirements that would accommodate international students and more part-time learners. Additionally, demonstrators are calling for increased public spending to upgrade aging campus infrastructure and hire additional support staff. "We see the lack of support staff that is truly overwhelming, both in CEGEPs and at universities. There is a shortage everywhere," said Sophie Bouchard, internal affairs representative for CRUES, highlighting the resulting limitations on student access to psychosocial support.
Another major point of contention is the push for universally compensated internships. While the Parti québécois government has committed to funding specific internships in fields like education and health, student leaders argue that the policy must be expanded immediately to cover all academic programs. "What we want is for them to put that promise into place quickly, and then go further by paying the other stages," stated Loïc Goyette, president of the Quebec Student Union.
Student organizers view the current week of action as a trial run for a potential unlimited general strike during the winter of 2027. Naïma Le Nédic, internal affairs lead for CRUES, acknowledged that the administration will not immediately meet all demands, explaining that the current mobilization serves to test their organizational strength for a larger movement.
Demonstrations are planned throughout the week in various cities, including Montreal, Sherbrooke, Chicoutimi, and Quebec City. The mobilization is set to culminate in a major protest scheduled for Friday afternoon at Victoria Square in Montreal, where students from across the province are expected to gather.
In response to the protests, provincial officials have expressed a willingness to communicate. Béatrice Vincent, press secretary for Minister of Higher Education Elsie Lefebvre, stated that the minister is "sensitive to the concerns expressed by the student movement and wishes to continue dialogue with student associations over the coming weeks." Similarly, the Federation of CEGEPs noted that member institutions are working to maintain academic continuity while remaining attentive to student grievances regarding financial difficulties.