A mass protest in Montreal against austerity measures ended with tear gas, rubber bullets, and six arrests Thursday as the mostly student-led demonstrations defied measures calling the protest "illegal."
Tens of thousands of students and their supporters filled the streets for the first time since the "Maple Spring" protests of 2012 in opposition to rising tuition costs swept Quebec.
The protest on Thursday came in opposition to the 2014 provincial budget, which critics say inflicts painful austerity.
Montreal police declared the protest illegal before it began, claiming organizers did not seek approval for the route of the protest march.Common Dreams
Police eventually employed tear gas, pepper spray, projectile launchers, batons and shields against the growing crowds that flooded the streets of the city, CBC News reports.
Protesters Against Austerity Fill the Streets of Montreal
Jacob
See also Urging 'New Path Forward,' Tens of Thousands Demand End to EU Austerity in Brussels.
We need investment, not austerity. It's time for a new path forward.
That was the message brought by tens of thousands of people from across Europe who converged in Brussels on Friday in a European Trade Union Confederation-organized protest against EU-supported austerity policies.
"Our message is simple, and one which EU leaders do not want to hear – that their policies for dealing with the financial crisis are not enough, and have caused a mounting social and economic crisis," stated Bernadette Ségol, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation. "Our message is that austerity is not working.
Demonstrators marched through the streets carrying placards reading, "We demand quality jobs and solidarity," "Another Europe is possible," "Down with austerity," and "Invest to get out of the crisis."
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