The 1996 Quebec student protests were a result of an increase in post-secondary tuition fees.
Between the early 1980s and 1990s, average Canadian university tuition fees more than doubled.
In 1976, the Canadian government signed the United Nations' International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.
However, in 1995, the Liberal Government announced a $7 billion funding cut to provincial programs, which includes tuition.
In 1996, it was announced that over a period of four years, tuition was going to be raised $280 from its current $500 rate.