There are currently over 60,000 students on strike in Quebec, with most of them having been in the streets for over two weeks. After a major national demonstration Thursday in Montreal drew 75,000, an ASSE congress this weekend has exposed rifts in the movement, as the entire executive of that organization resigned yesterday, subsequently being fired anyway for overstepping their mandates. Decisions on strategy are being made today, and we'll have coverage for you later on.
No matter which way forward this movement chooses, there is no questioning the impact it has had thus far on Quebec society and our beleaguered Liberal government. After attempting to rebrand student strikes as “boycotts” in 2012, the Liberals are at it again, suffering such heavy political damage that they are now demanding journalists refer to their “so-called austerity agenda.” For reasons passing comprehension, a number of journalists willingly go along with these partisan diktats.
A strike is a strike, austerity is austerity and the government’s sinking poll numbers are reflective of both those facts.
Here at Ricochet, half our English editorial board spent 2012 covering the strike, while half of our French board were busy running it. This outlet was established in part out of frustration at the terrible mainstream coverage accorded to students in 2012, particularly in English, and our desire to build something capable of doing better. We wear our progressive persuasions proudly, the better that you can understand our biases, but we like to think we report the facts and explain the situation as well as anyone.
We're tremendously proud of the coverage we have offered thus far, including stunning pictures, video reports, time lapses and innovative profiles of protesters. Editor Ethan Cox, whose work in 2012 explaining the student movement to an international audience for rabble won wide acclaim, is writing regularly. We've also supplemented our reporting with incisive opinion pieces by authors like Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and Sébastien Robert, and translated those articles into English. Finally we're proud and lucky to have video and photo reports from our friends Mario Jean, AJ Korkidakis, Robert van Waarden and Alex Bailey.
But as our coverage expands, it becomes harder to locate. That's why we built this handy almanac, where you can peruse all of our Printemps 2015 content in one place, in reverse chronological order. There's plenty more on the French side of this site, and our coverage is ongoing, so check back often!
April 21
Assault with silly string: Quebec student strike leader jailed indefinitely
April 15
In Quebec’s strike, students are the real targets of intimidation
April 10
Pepper spray, a kettle and a great big hug
April 9
April 8
April 7
April 4
· The faces of April 2: profiles from Quebec's anti-austerity movement
April 3
· The students strike back: 75,000 protest austerity in Montreal
· VIDEO: Manif2Avril, the fight against austerity in pictures
April 2
April 1
· EXPLAINER: Will Quebec's student movement opt for a spring strike, or a strategic fallback?
March 30
March 26
· EXPLAINER: Everything you need to know about Quebec's latest student strike
March 25
March 24
Background
March 20
· Austerity kills: Liberals tumble, Quebec Solidaire gain in new poll