MONTREAL - Six people involved with the student protest movement face charges following a raucous protest at the Universite de Montreal Tuesday morning on the second morning of classes.
Montreal police initially detained 19 people, then that number was reduced to 11 (six women, five men) but eventually only arrested six, according to a police representative interviewed by CTV Montreal at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday.
Five of those arrested will face criminal charges of assaulting on an officer of the peace. The demonstrators were taken out after scuffling with police and security guards.
The other accused will face charges of assault by an intruder, (41.2 of the Criminal Code), in connection with resisting arrest.
None will be charged under the provisions of Bill 78, which sets out stiff penalties for protesters who block schools or who fail to provide police with their demonstration itinerary eights hours in advance.
The unrest began at around 8 a.m. when a group of protesters assembled in front of the office of a student association and divided into groups of 10, each of which was given a classroom to enter and disrupt in hopes of having the class cancelled.
After the initial morning scuffles, poilce were forced return at around 1 p.m. to quell another disturbance. Once again the Tactical Squad had to enter the buiding to dislodge protesters from inside the building.
The situation at the Universite de Quebec a Montreal was far tamer, as classes continued as usual under a heavy security presence.
Dozens of demonstrators forced class cancellations Monday as school resumed at Quebec universities.
-With files from The Canadian Press
