There are a lot of disappointed Formula One race fans in Montreal, after Grand Prix officials cancelled their annual open house over fears that student groups protesting plans to hike tuition fees would try to disrupt the event.

F1 fans were supposed to have had access to Gilles Villeneuve at the free event this Thursday. But organizers decided that the danger of disruptive demonstrations created too many security concerns.

Student leaders are accusing event organizers of blowing the issue out of proportion to discredit the student movement.

The Canadian Grand Prix's president, Francois Dumontier, says it was regrettable that the event had to be cancelled but said there were simply too many threats.

"We received some threats and some were to disrupt the Grand Prix itself, and we never know what form it's going to take," he told CTV Montreal's Scott Lurie.

An anti-capitalist group known as CLAC also promised to hold demonstrations, to protest what it calls a "crass elite" and the Grand Prix, which it says represents and "orgy of cash [that] symbolizes turbo-capitalism."

Protests over tuition fees and a new law designed to stifle demonstrations have caused major traffic headaches in Montreal. There's been a march every night in the city for 41 straight days.

With no end to the protests in sight, the head and founder of the Juste Pour Rire/Just for Laughs comedy festival met with student leaders Monday to discuss how further summertime events can avoid being disrupted.

Gilbert Rozon said ticket sales to French-language events at his comedy festival have dropped 50 per cent in the past 10 days.

After meeting with student leaders, Rozon was not available for comment, but he used his Twitter account to report that the meeting was "positive."

Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, a spokesperson for CLASSE, the largest of the student associations, says their group has no intention of halting protests through the summer.

Talks between students and the government of Premier Jean Charest broke down last Thursday. On Saturday, several thousand people participated in a march organized by CLASSE.

On Sunday night, a small group of 300 people took part a march through Emelie-Gamelin Park to oppose tuition hikes.

Police declared the protest illegal because no route was filed, but allowed it continue since no vandalism or illegal activities occurred. No one was arrested.