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Quebec students, Charest government agree to talk

By Gabriela Perdomo
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May 25, 2012

Leaders of Quebec’s student protesters and the Liberal provincial government of Jean Charest have agreed to hold talks but the conversation won’t start until next week, the Montreal Gazette reports.

After more than 100 days of protests over a proposed tuition fee hike and a controversial law curbing demonstration rights, Education Minister Michelle Courchesne was quoted as saying: “What both sides want is to get out of the crisis. We will take the time needed to prepare, because on both sides we are very aware how serious the situation is.”

According to a report by the Canadian Press, over 2,500 people have been arrested since the protests began, which is “about to add costs and delays to an already overburdened justice system.”

From CP:

Constitutional challenges are inevitable against some of the laws used to end protests, and some people will face the prospect of a criminal record that could hang over them for years.

The end result will be more pressure on the justice system, even though authorities appear confident they can deal with the numbers.