A protester is chased by a police officer who uses his bike to try and stop him during an anti-government protestin Montreal, on Wednesday, August 8, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Peter McCabe
August 08, 2012 - 1:06 PM
MONTREAL - A student protest in Montreal is being broken up by riot police.
Scores of protesters are being asked to disperse after objects were tossed at officers.
They have also been blocking the entrance to the Hydro-Quebec power utility building.
The protesters belong to the more militant Quebec student federation, the CLASSE.
They say they oppose the Charest government's fee hikes — for university tuition and for electricity.
The protest comes at a politically unpredictable juncture: during an election campaign, and on a week where students are holding votes on whether to extend their strikes.
The riot squad moved in and chased the group, of about 200 protesters, down a busy downtown boulevard. Some people dressed in black and wearing masks tried to get into back, but they were chased away again.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2012