MONTREAL - The provincial government will convene at 8 p.m. Thursday night in an all-night effort to end the student crisis.
That's when the Charest Liberals will table their special emergency legislation, which is expected to suspend the school semester until August, delay the fall semester for universities and CEGEPs until October and levy harsh fines on people who defy injunctions.
News of the emergency bill was harshly criticized by student leaders and striking students, but the government is fighting back on other fronts: it took out half-page ads in many newspapers pointing out that 70 percent of students are not taking part in the strike and have already finished, or almost finished the semester.
Opposition leader Pauline Marois was particularly outraged during Question Period on Thursday, accusing the premier of turning against Quebec's youth.
Things got so heated throughout the debate between MNAs this morning that the speaker had to ask them several times to calm down.
The government says this special law is aimed at settling things down, but it seems to have had the opposite effect so far.
Martine Desjardins of FEUQ, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois of CLASSE, and Leo Bureau-Blouin of FECQ were unanimous in saying the government was throwing fuel on the fire of discontent.
"It's not because they suspend the semester, that they are going to suspend the crisis. That's a big problem. If there's violence, if there's tension, Mr. Charest will be the only one to blame," said Bureau-Blouin.
"It's going to put anger in the hearts of the students," said Nadeau-Dubois.
In the moments after Charest announced the emergency legislation on Wednesday night, thousands of students took to the streets in Montreal. In all, 122 protesters were arrested after a night of sometimes violent clashes with police.
Regardless ministers are asking the public to be calm.
"We can express ourselves with no violence and be on the streets, but very calmly and without violence. Everybody has a responsibility," said Education Minister Michelle Courchesne.
