Thousands took to downtown Montreal streets Saturday for a peaceful anti-austerity demonstration.

Protests are being held simultaneously in Montreal and in Quebec City against what organizers are calling the Liberal government’s move toward “dismantling” public services.

Union members, students, public sector workers and many ordinary Quebecers came out to say they've had it with government cuts

“What they’re doing is cutting, cutting, cutting, it's the only ideology that they're putting forward and that has … negative effects on society as a whole,” said President of the Federation of University Students Jonathan Bouchard.

Protesters say the Couillard government is destroying the Quebec way of life, and that Quebecers generally favour low daycare and tuition fees and a well-funded public health system

“I think we had a nice health system and I don't know where it's going now. It might be going to the private sector,” said nurse Linda Ross.

And some groups argue women will be hit especially hard by the Liberals' proposed measures.

“Well really, women are on the front lines of the attack by the government. They’re the daycare workers, they work in the school system, many work in the community and those are really the sectors in the front lines of the cuts,” said Alexa Conradi of the Quebec Women’s Federation.

Many public sector workers are fighting mad that the government is forcing employees to pay for 50 per cent of their pensions. They say the Liberals are wrong to change a deal they negotiated years ago.

“It was a written contract and now that written contract doesn't count anymore,” said one man.

The government should tax businesses and the rich if they’re looking for extra cash, but not make life harder for average Quebecers, protesters argued.

Montreal police say the demonstration's organizers did give them advance warning of their planned route and it was allowed to proceed as planned.

Quebec’s finance minister has reiterated he's committed to a balanced budget next year and that Quebec can no longer afford the programs it once had.

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Carlos Leitao will give an economic update where he's expected to say he'll stay the course and that there will likely be even more cuts.