The Canadian National Newspaper: Thousands of students descend on Queen's Park to fight fees

TORONTO (CUP) - The news that Ontario is now a have-not province and will be receiving federal equalization payments came as a shock to many. Students in Ontario have long considered themselves in this category, however, due to their dubious distinction of paying the second-highest price for post-secondary education in the country.

On 5 November 2008, thousands of students from institutions across the Greater Toronto Area rallied at University of Toronto for a march to Queen's Park, as a part of the Canadian Federation of Students' Day of Action.

Armed with rhyming slogans like: "We gotta beat back the corporate attack," bullhorns, and hundreds of red placards, they made their way to the seat of the provincial legislature to deliver their message to Ontario Premier McGuinty.

"The best solution for dealing with an economic crisis is to invest in post-secondary," said one speaker.

It was a sentiment that was echoed by many. NDP Leader Jack Layton was there to lend his support.

"It's really vital to the economy of the 21st century that we have the best educated populace," Layton told reporters.

"Some people are having to abandon their studies or not even get started," he said.

He added that those who do complete school are often forced to "grab the first job they can find" rather than look for work in their field because of the high student debt they have to repay.

Despite these hardships, spirits at the rally were high. With the temperature nearing 20 degrees, many were out in shorts and T-shirts, beating on drums, or dancing to the clubby music blaring from the flatbed leading the march.

The Hot Yam, a student-run vegan cafe, was on-hand giving out free butternut squash soup. It felt like a block party.

Enthusiasm from Barack Obama's win the night before clearly permeated the crowd as well, and they adopted many of the U.S. President-elect's rhetoric. His classic "Yes we can!" cheer was repeated frequently, and his unlikely victory cited by speakers as reason to continue the struggle.

Former CFS-Ontario chairperson Jen Hassum said she was "really surprised and happy" with the turnout.

"We collected 60,000 signatures [in favour of reducing tuition fees] and submitted them to the government," said Hassum.

If there was a hitch in the proceedings, it was the unfortunate choice of many protestors to wear the green Guy Fawkes mask popularized by a campaign against Scientology launched by a group called Anonymous.

Fawkes attempted to blow up the British Houses of Parliament on Nov. 5, 1605, and these similarities had Queen's Park under "total lock-down," as Maclean's education blogger Joey Coleman noted.

Indeed, dozens of officers were guarding the entrance to the legislature as the students marched up to Rage Against The Machine's "Killing in the Name."

The cops kept the demonstrators from the building with fences, as the students taunted the premier with jeers of: "We don't want no mac and cheese, yo Dalton, drop all fees."

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