OSAP protesters call for a province-wide student strike

Hundreds of Ontario post-secondary students and their allies called for student organizers to begin student strikes across the province.

The March 24 rally at Queen's Park was also joined by high school students protesting changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program that will increase the loans portion of OSAP to 75 per cent and cut grants to a maximum of 25 per cent, beginning in in the fall.

Students are angry about the changes that would likely increase education debt for most students.

“Fight Ford, prepare a student strike,” read one banner as members of the Revolutionary Communist Party (RCP) kicked off demands and chants through their megaphone.

Indeed, another protest is planned across the province for March 28, including Queen's Park.

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said the changes are "just wrong." He was supporting students who were struggling to make ends meet and now face student debt for an education.

"The premier's priorities are so misplaced," he said. "He's finding billions of dollars to build this stupid tunnel under the 401, his fantasy island to build a convention centre in Lake Ontario.

"Now he wants to buy the island airport, and he says there isn't money for students," Schreiner said. "That is wrong. It's just an example of how the premier, over and over again, is all about how to make the wealthy and well-connected richer on the backs of low and middle-income students."

Other opposition party leaders, including the NDP's Marit Stiles, mixed with the protesters, arguing that OSAP is essential to students.

"You do not want to live with a lifetime of debt," she told the crowd. "We cannot afford Doug Ford and his OSAP cuts."

She said high school students are turning down offers from post-secondary schools.

Stiles said the party is demanding that OSAP be reinstated and that interest on loans be rescinded in future.

Courtney Martin, youth co-chair for the Greens, said she was supporting the party and students.

"We're helping spread the word and get Doug Ford to reverse the cuts and even change completely to 100 per cent grants,” Martin said.

Schreiner agrees.

“Well, we should forgive interest on all student loans, and we should have the OSAP program be 100% grants and not loans because we don't want students graduating with debt," he said.

Students had slowly trickled in for the demonstration to fight for their right to the education OSAP had once promised, without piling massive lifelong debts.

Prior to students assembling, statues and front entrances were guarded, covered and barricaded to prevent the damage made by protesters during the March 4 protest. Toronto Police had a large presence, but there were no heated confrontations or any incidents of vandalism.