Student radicals blamed for locust infestation
MONTREAL — Student radicals are suspected in an act of vandalism with Biblical overtones after swarms of locusts overran the city’s main business school on Thursday.
Officials at the HEC school called in exterminators to fight the plague that came hours before Quebec offered its first olive branch in a 52-day student strike over tuition hikes.
Hundreds of locusts infested a classroom and two bathrooms at HEC around 8:30 a.m.
A letter left at the scene made a direct reference to the book of Exodus that recounts plagues that hit Egypt in biblical times.
“Pharaoh hardens his heart but justice is served,” read the note. “May it stain your walls and your air ducts.”
The insect infestation was one of two incidents at Quebec schools Thursday as thousands of students continue their protests against tuition hikes.
In Saguenay, 200 km north of Quebec City, a security guard suffered a dislocated shoulder in a scuffle with students who tried to occupy a campus building. A second guard suffered a knee injury.
Quebec students have blocked bridges, major roads and government buildings nearly every day since the strike began in February.
Premier Jean Charest has held firm on his decision to increase tuition fees by $1,625 over five years, but two top ministers pledged Thursday to sweeten student loan programs in an attempt to diffuse the demonstrations.
Education Minister Line Beauchamp and Finance Minister Raymond Bachand announced an income-based loan program that could take effect in September 2013.
The overture immediately divided student groups. The hardline CLASSE organization rejected the pledge, while the more moderate FECQ says it will discuss the offer over the Easter break.
Beauchamp told a news conference that student groups have so far refused to negotiate and that many young people risk losing an entire semester.
“The students are in a critical decision phase,” she said. “It was our responsibility to take action after having launched appeals for dialogue for several days.”
Bachand added, “We listened, we waited, and no one sat down with us to discuss this.”
Charest, meanwhile, said he hopes the striking students return to class.
Students have blocked both entrances to the Port of Montreal
The striking students held another action of economic disruption by blocking both entrances to the Port of Montreal for over an hour this morning.
About 200 students gathered at Metro Prefontaine headed for the station Langelier, where they arrived around 10am.
They then took the boulevard Langelier contraflow south, then Haig Street, where they made a short jog. Arrived at Notre Dame, the group split.
Part of the demonstrators went to block the entry of Bossuet Street, west side, and the other group, more importantly, prevented the access of Boucherville Street.
Dozens of truckers wishing to travel to the port were hostages of the situation. Some supporting young even if it makes them lose money, since they are paid to travel and not by the hour.
A driver who was going to port to take command of a ship regretted the delay that this action was taken to the boat. "But at least young people take action. I hope they will mobilize against by it for other things. Like to vote, "he said.
Around 11:15, a representative SPVM came to inform the protesters near the Boucherville Street they had to leave, "for their own safety and avoid arrest" because the port authority asked that young free places .
The protesters decided to resume their march westward, to meet their colleagues stationed at the entrance Bossuet.
There they remained until about 11:45.
At that time, a commander of the SPVM advised, the microphone of his patrol van, that the protest was now considered illegal. An ad that has received answers to the fingers of honors and other insults.
Moments later, two teams in the intervention group, helmeted and armed with shields and batons, the protesters took sandwich on Notre Dame.
But a small core more stubborn, many on their faces masked, one carrying a shield same craft, did not blink until one of two response teams in the load striking their sticks on their shields . Assaults by a small block away, they rejected the last resisters north of Bossuet, before letting them go.
The group walked to the subway Cadillac to return to the city center.
This is not the first time that students are challenging the activities of the Port of Montreal. They did the 22 March 28 March and 5 April.
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