The Broad Coalition of Student Union Solidarity (CLASSE) has announced the start of the Quebec-Ontario Student Solidarity Tour this week with a tour of 9 Ontario cities in eight days. The first city visited will be Ottawa. The aim is to meet with student associations to inform them of the fight in Quebec. CLASSE co-spokesperson Camille Robert hopes that the group can build links with associations in Ontario and exchange strategies on how to mobilize and fight their common struggle. She added that the protest movement remains strong and dispelled the idea that it is weakening. Support for the students remains firm and CLASSE is making sure to keep in touch with the population so that come August when school resumes, there will be maximum support. "Our main objective is to show how we got here," explained CLASSE co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau Dubois. "We feel a lot of admiration and curiosity from [Ontario students]. We have a certain expertise and a duty to share it," he added. The student movement's strength comes from its method of organizing, Gabriel Nadeau Dubois said. "There's no magic to the mobilization," he said. "It's simply work, structure and strategy. The main key to the success in Quebec is exportable because it's in our method of organization. The fact that we have funded and very democratic accredited local student organizations; the fact that we have strong, well-organized national organizations that have stood the test of time. They already have student associations. What we can perhaps inspire in them is the question of direct democracy." The Ontario organizers of the tour write: "With a quarter of a million people marching in the streets of Montreal for three months in a row, a broad and powerful united resistance has developed and is shaking Quebec. Despite over a thousand arrests, police violence, and disturbing anti-democratic laws brought-in by the Charest Liberal government, the students have held strong. "Come hear first-hand accounts and analysis explaining how the strike grew from a campaign calling for access to education into a people's struggle for democracy and a better Quebec. [...] "As federal and provincial austerity budgets impact hard in Ontario, how can we build solidarity as well as a broad, united and growing movement here in Ontario?" Tour ScheduleOttawa
Thursday July 12 -- 7:00 pm Agora, University Centre, Level 0 (Concourse), University of Ottawa, 85 University Private Check out the event on Facebook. Kingston Friday July 13 -- 6:00 pm Rm 100, Kinesiology Building, Queen's University, 28 Division Street See map and Check out the event on Facebook. Hamilton Saturday July 14 -- 6:00 pm Council Chambers, Hamilton City Hall, 71 Main Street See map and check out the event on Facebook. Niagara Region Sunday July 15 -- 5:00 pm 21 King Street, St Catharines Check out the event on Facebook. Windsor Monday July 16 -- 5:00 pm Commons Area, CAW Student Center, University of Windsor See map and check out the event on Facebook. London Tuesday July 17 -- 1:00 pm Tollpuddle Housing Coop, 380 Adelaide St. N. Guelph Tuesday July 17 -- 7:30 pm Van Gogh's Ear, 10 Wyndham Street North (downtown). Check out the Facebook event here. Toronto York University Wednesday July 18 -- 4:00 pm Keele Campus, CLH B, Curtis Lecture Hall, 125 Campus Walk View PDF of campus map and check out the Facebook event here. Ryerson University Thursday July 19 -- 6:00 pm Room SC 115, Ryerson Student Center, 55 Gould Street. See map. Peterborough Friday July 20 -- 1:00 pm Confederation Square with Food provided by Food Not Bombs Peterborough. For more information please call the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario (416) 925-3825 and say it is regarding the tour, or visit the website: http://solidaritytour.tumblr.com
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