MONTREAL, April 7 (UPI) -- A peaceful sit-in protest at the University of Quebec at Montreal led to the arrest of 45 students Tuesday, police said.
The Gazette newspaper said group members barricaded themselves in a downtown campus building Monday night. Police Constable Daniel Lacoursiere said he was unsure of their demands in talks with university officials, although CTV News reported the students were demanding free tuition in response to a strike by professors, now in its fifth week.
Charges against the students included mischief and trespassing provoking assault, The Gazette said. All were released after agreeing to appear in court at a later date.
The sit-in came hours after almost 1,000 professors voted to extend their strike another week, CTV said. They have been without a contract since March 2007 and are seeking raises and 300 new teaching positions, the report said.
Students have, so far, missed 25 days of classes that can't be made up by the end of the term, The Gazette said.
