Students took to the streets on Saturday and Sunday, to protest against changes to the Ontario Post-Secondary sector.
On February 12th, the provincial government announced the end of a 7-year long tuition freeze, along with changes to grant distribution through the Ontario Student Aid Program (OSAP). This coming September, aid packages for eligible students will be cut from 85 per cent in grants, to 25 per cent- the rest being covered in loans.
Student leader, Zayah Samad at the OSAP protest, Saturday at Victoria Park, London, ON.
Zayah Samad is one of the student leaders at the weekend protest. She said the movement started with a post to social media, and was eager to learn that other students shared her frustration, “We have to meet up and protest because it’s not okay.” Samad is graduating this semester but believes that students deserve more support than what the province outlined, “I’m doing this because I feel like it’s really unfair that I got this thing [grants] and then other people can’t.”
Local lawmakers also joined the students in protest. London North Centre MPP, Terence Kernaghan and London West MPP, Peggy Sattler, made statements criticizing Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Kernaghan said the premier doesn’t understand the harm in his decisions, “He wants to pretend that there is equity of opportunity, but he can’t see past his privilege.” Sattler, speaking for the Ontario NDP, said that Ford needs to backpedal on the OSAP cuts, “The Ontario NDP is standing with students to get these changes overturned.”
MPP’s Terence Kernaghan, and Peggy Sattler joined the students in protest.
The NDP is hosting an emergency town hall at Western University to better understand concerns from their constituents.
The weekend protests at Victoria Park are part of a larger movement across the province, as multiple student-led organizations move to organize walk-outs and demonstrations throughout Ontario – including one at Queens Park planned for Wednesday.
