694 arrested in Quebec student protests

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MONTREAL, May 24 (UPI) -- Ongoing student protests over Quebec tuition increases resulted in 518 arrests in Montreal and 176 in Quebec City, police said Thursday.

In Montreal, for the first time since the protests began Feb. 14, police employed the technique of "kettling" demonstrators, in which officers erect fence cages around large groups, The (Montreal) Gazette reported.

Of the 518 arrests Wednesday night, 506 were in the kettle and included 30 minors, police said. One person was arrested for wearing a mask, which was outlawed by the province two months into the nightly violent protests. The bill also requires that organizers give police at least eight hours notice of any planned marches or gatherings. Any variation from the plan allows police to declare the protest illegal and disperse it.

The maximum fine under the bill is $1,000, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.

In Quebec City, protesters didn't notify police of their rally and authorities declared it illegal as it formed and arrested 176 people Wednesday night, the Gazette said.