Commission begins public hearings into student protests

The government-appointed commission into the 2012 “Maple Spring” protests began public hearings this week, and commission head Serge Ménard hopes that the “inquiry helps make future demonstrations more peaceful.” The series of protests against tuition hikes in Quebec led to more than 2,000 arrests, hundreds of complaints against police, countless injuries, property damage, cancelled classes and millions in law-enforcement costs. The inquiry will focus on the number of demonstrations, their locations, the arrests and the number of injuries. The commission was announced earlier this spring, and has been surrounded by a degree of controversy, as student groups and police unions voiced their displeasure about the inquiry’s focus and “lack of transparency.” The commission is meant to present its findings to Quebec’s public security minister before December 20, 2013. Globe and Mail | Montreal Gazette