Activist Communique: Toronto Casserole in Solidarity with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois of CLASSE

Krystalline Kraus

(Toronto, ON) — Torontonians will take part in a ‘casserole ‘ demonstration today at noon at Dufferin Grove Park to show solidarity with Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois and the Student Movement in Quebec. People are outraged with a Quebec court ruling on November 1 that found Nadeau-Dubois guilty of contempt of court for encouraging students to take part in picket lines at the University of Laval. The former spokesperson for CLASSE could face up to a year in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The charge stems from an interview on Radio-Canada on May 13 in which Nadeau-Dubois said:

"I think that it is completely legitimate for students to undertake the means necessary to respect the democratic choice to strike… It’s completely regrettable that a minority of students are using the courts to go around decisions that were made collectively. If students need to form picket lines to ensure that their strike votes are respected, we think that’s completely legitimate."

Nadeau-Dubois was representing the view of most students in the movement and was upholding the democratically made vote to go on strike.

“The court ruling is unjust. It is a political attack on the student movement as a whole and an attempt to criminalize protests. It represents a major setback for freedom of speech in Canada,” says Raul Burbano of the Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network.

3000 others are fighting charges stemming from the student strike as well. The organizers of the march are calling for all charges to be dropped.

Contact information: Xavier Lafrance, Media Liaison: 647-466-3219

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