10,000 Montreal Students Defy Anti-Protest Law Bill 78 (Video)

On Friday, the Quebec government passed Bill 78, which comes with heavy financial penalties for violations.

The law:

• Suspends winter semesters at schools where students have boycotted classes.
• Stipulates penalties for groups who try to block access to schools, and even for organizations that don't induce their members not to.
• Requires any public protest of more than 50 people to alert police at least eight hours ahead of time, with the event's start time, route and date. Groups that violate the law face fines of up to $125,000.

The City of Montreal passed its own measures on Friday, making it illegal to wear a mask, scarf or hood during a public protests.

Legal experts, civil-rights groups, unions and student groups have blasted the hardline Bill 78. A full-page newspaper advertisement paid for by the Quebec government to explain the law was flanked by other ads from civil society groups alarmed by what they call "draconian" measures to contain the tuition hike crisis.