Pension protest greets Philippe Couillard in Montreal
Protest organizers keep numbers small to ensure order at festive Bill 3 protest in St-Lambert
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard got a noisy welcome Sunday morning from protesters gathered outside Champlain College in the Montreal suburb of St-Lambert, where he was addressing a Liberal Party symposium.
Protesters included firemen, police officers and municipal blue collar workers opposed to the Quebec government’s proposed municipal pension reform legislation, Bill 3.
“We want to remind the premier that we’re here, and we want major changes to the legislation before it’s passed,” said Marc Ranger, spokesman for the coalition of municipal employee unions that is spearheading protests against Bill 3.
Music and food gave the protest a festive air and the number of protesters was kept to around 100 in order to ensure order at the demonstration, Ranger said.
Protesters blocked a road outside the college, but they were otherwise peaceful.
Ranger said the coalition is growing and its strength will be on full display throughout the fall, including a mass march next week that he said will resemble a "human wave" across the province.