LIVE UPDATES: Montreal police use tear gas as Quebec student strike ends in the streets
Rebel News' Guillaume Roy is on the ground in Montreal as a week-long student strike against "austerity" spills into the streets.
Article by Rebel News staff.
A week-long strike by Quebec college and university students wrapped up Friday with a demonstration at Montreal's Victoria Square, and by mid-afternoon police were using tear gas.
The strike, organized by the Coalition de résistance pour l'unité étudiante syndicale (CRUES), ran from Nov. 9 to 13. The coalition said between 60,000 and 74,000 students were expected to walk out at schools including UQAM, Université Laval and the Université de Sherbrooke.
The students want financial aid reformed and more provincial money poured into education, even though Quebec students already pay some of the lowest tuition in the country. At the end of the month, they will vote on whether to call an unlimited general strike for the winter semester.
Follow along below for live updates from Montreal.
Roy noted the "We are all antifascists" slogan making the rounds at the protests. He doubts most striking students see themselves as antifa, but said those in the streets "genuinely believe they are fighting against a 'rise of fascism.'"
« Siamo tutti antifascisti » : slogan politique né en Italie dans les années 1920 contre le régime de Mussolini.
— Guillaume Roy (@guillaum3roy) November 13, 2026
Je doute que les 80 000 étudiants se considèrent comme « antifa », mais ceux qu’on voit dans les rues de Montréal croient réellement lutter contre une « montée du… pic.twitter.com/Lzmz5ygA4X
By early afternoon, Montreal police had stepped up their presence at Victoria Square for the demonstration against "austerity."
Une présence accrue d'agents du Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) est observée à Square Victoria pour la manifestation contre « l'austérité », organisée dans le cadre de la grève étudiante. pic.twitter.com/MJT8upoiqu
— Guillaume Roy (@guillaum3roy) November 13, 2026
The flag of La France Insoumise, the French far-left party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was spotted in the crowd. Critics in France have long accused the party of pandering to Islamists.
Qui est réellement derrière ce mouvement ?
— Guillaume Roy (@guillaum3roy) November 13, 2026
Le drapeau du parti islamo-gauchiste La France insoumise (LFI), dirigé par Jean-Luc Mélenchon, est visible durant la manifestation étudiante au square Victoria. pic.twitter.com/a3ePMDfwTd
Roy then reported that police fired tear gas at far-left activists.
Le SPVM a utilisé des gaz lacrymogènes contre des militants d’extrême gauche. pic.twitter.com/hkEkluSmEB
— Guillaume Roy (@guillaum3roy) November 13, 2026
This story is still developing.
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