Thousands of people rallied peacefully in Montreal on Halloween for a demonstration doubleheader, with one set of marchers making their point in the afternoon and a smaller set doing the same in the evening.
Police repeatedly informed the marchers in both demonstrations that their protest was illegal, as organizers failed to provide their planned route.
Masks were also widely-worn, which is also in violation of a city bylaw passed in May 2012. However police issued no tickets and made only one arrest at the night march.
Led by student unions, Quebec Solidaire politicians and unions, people gathered outside the Premier's offices at McGill College and Sherbrooke St. at 11 a.m. and ended at around 3 p.m.
All were opposed to spending cuts being made or proposed by the provincial government.
The march was organized by the Coalition opposed to privatizing public services, did not give police a marching route and so was declared illegal within half an hour of its start.
At noon protesters left the area outside Premier Couillard's office and after 45 minutes marched to Club 357c, on De La Commune St. in Old Montreal.
In 2012 the Charbonneau Commission said the dinner club was frequented by construction company owners, provincial ministers and civil servants, but went on to say the club was of no interest to the corruption inquiry and there was no indication any attempts at collusion ever took place there.
After a short pause, the march continued through Old Montreal, then into the downtown core, with a supposed destination of Place Emelie Gamelin.
The Coalition called on the provincial government to make other choices to redistribute wealth and find the $10 billion necessary to "finance public services and social programs without increasing social injustice."
"On the one hand they're very clear in their intention to cut. On the other hand they're very clear in their intention not to get any money from people who actually have money," said Joel Pedneault, a spokesperson for the Coalition.
"The orientation behind that is they just want to cut social spending. It's an orientation against social spending and against our social programs which we fought so hard for in Quebec."
ASSE, the student coalition that came to prominence two and a half years ago with daily protests against a university tuition increase, said 25 associations representing 45,000 students had voted for a one-day strike.
They were specifically opposed to cuts in education and social programs.
Other groups taking part included the FAE (independent teacher's federation) the CSQ (Centrale des syndicats du Quebec) and Quebec Solidaire.
MNAs Francoise David, Amir Khadir and Manon Massé were all on hand to denounce planned cuts to provincial spending.
"I've crossed people working with children, with families, and disabled people, students, union," said Massé.
"We are together because we understand this government wants to divide us, and we are together and we will stay together."
