Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec Line Beauchamp, Minister of Education (until May 14, 2012) Michelle Courchesne, Minister of Education (May 14-September 4) Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois of the CLASSEMartine Desjardins of the FEUQLéo Bureau-Blouin of the FECQPauline Marois, leader of opposition party Parti Québécois The 2012 Quebec student protests (movement) were a series of student protests led by students individually such as the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSÉ), the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, and the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec against a proposal by the Quebec Cabinet, headed by Liberal Premier Jean Charest, to raise university tuition from $2,168 to $3,793 between 2012 and 2018.

[8][9][10] In the Fall of 2012, the Parti Québécois was elected as minority government and halted any tuition increases in line with its campaign promises and, with a new school term beginning, student participation in the strikes and demonstrations dwindled.

[14] These changes in education access gave birth to a Quebec middle class and transformed the possibility of upward mobility in the province.

[20] Student associations usually call for strikes over local issues and set a limited time period.

[20] These previous student strikes demanded free tuition, democratic administration of the universities, the expansion of French instruction and facilities, elimination of more stringent aptitude tests, and an increase in bursaries.

[21] In March 2011, Quebec decided to pursue planned five year tuition increases, prompting protests from student groups, and the occupation of the office of the Finance minister.

[2] In July, student leaders accused police of brutality and repression against protesters, whose numbers swelled to 30,000 by November, leading to the occupation of McGill University's administrative building.

On March 7, 2012, during a sit-in demonstration blocking front of the Loto-Québec (lottery) head office, police deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades against over 1,000 protesters.

[2] One student named Francis Grenier had his eye seriously wounded by what he and other demonstrators stated was a flash-bang grenade launched by police.

[25] Upon the arrival of Sûreté du Québec police officers, the protesters fled through the streets of Brossard to coaches waiting for them at Terminus Panama.

[22] On March 27, protesters block access to the Quebec Liquor Board offices as students begin to target economic symbols.

[2] On May 5, after a marathon negotiating session, student groups and government reach deal to delay increases in cost of education for a few months pending a study by a new body.

[30][31][32] On May 19, 2012, Montreal-based band Arcade Fire wore the "red square" solidarity symbol during a performance with Mick Jagger on the season finale of Saturday Night Live.

On May 22, 2012, in response to the passage of Bill 78 and in commemoration of 100 days since the beginning of the student strike, another march took place, with tens of thousands of marchers and approximately 1,000 arrests[35] Organizers spun this event as "The single biggest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history.

[37][38] Inspired by the cacerolazos of Chile in 1971, these involved residents banging on pots and pans from their windows or taking to the streets with their kitchenware at 8 o'clock.

On May 31, the Quebec government stated that it was pulling out of talks meant to end the protest after four days of negotiations with student leaders, without having reached a stable consensus.

[22] After the announcement by ministerial decree of tuition freeze on September 5, 2012, the remaining student associations on strike voted to return to class.

The bill was titled "An Act to enable students to receive instruction from the postsecondary institutions they attend," and restricted freedom of assembly, protest, or picketing on or near university grounds, and anywhere in Quebec without prior police approval.

This bill was criticized by the United Nations, with the UN High Commissioner stating that: "In the context of student protests, I am disappointed by the new legislation passed in Quebec that restricts their rights to freedom of association and of peaceful assembly".

On April 18, 2012, a group of 300 protesters broke windows, ransacked rooms and injured a security guard at the Université de Montréal.

[52] Lavoie was particularly influenced by mug shots of four young people who placed smoke bombs on the Montreal Metro during the protests.