Cegep de l’Outaouais plans to re-open doors Thursday
Posted May 3, 2012 06:10:17 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
GATINEAU – Cegep de l’Outaouais will attempt to open their doors Thursday and resume classes.
The college cancelled classes Wednesday, after more than 300 students descended on the campus, blocking the driveways and linking arms in front of doorways.
Students have vowed to continue their fight, and said they’ll march again Thursday if the school tries to hold classes.
A court injunction is in place to keep protesters ten metres from school property, but the school’s administration did not ask police to intervene Wednesday when that was broken. School staff said that was done out of concern that a peaceful protest would turn violent.
Nicole Gaboury, a professor at the Cegep and has been protesting with the students daily and told 1310News, she feels her students are learning more about democracy by protesting than being in the classroom.
“The end is the responsibility of Premier Charest he’s responsible,” she said. “The end is on his side, students are behaving very well.”
A University of Ottawa student attended the rally Wednesday and told 1310News, she supports the Cegep students.
“We see the importance of the struggle and we really support this cause because we know that we ourselves will be affected by the Charest government’s decision to raise tuition fees,” said Samantha Ponting. “We really want to do our part to try and put a stop to it because this is something affecting students across the country.”
Protesters told 1310News, the only way they’ll stop the demonstrations is if Jean Charest ends his plan to raise tuition fees by 75 per cent over seven years.
