Hundreds of students took to the streets of Montreal Thursday, one day after a student protester suffered a serious eye injury following a confrontation with police.
The students have been protesting the Quebec government's plan to increase tuition fees, although the province would still have some of the lowest fees in the country.
Francis Grenier, 20, suffered a partially detached retina after a police stun grenade went off during Wednesday's protest.
On Thursday, some students taunted police by wearing eyepatches, but the protest remained mostly peaceful. There was only one arrest, compared to seven the day before.
"Police are everywhere, justice is nowhere," some protesters chanted.
The students refused to give police their marching route on Thursday, making it a difficult day for police and some commuters.
On Wednesday, police armed with batons and tear gas charged a group of protesters blocking access to a public building. Protesters responded by throwing snowballs.
Jeanne Reynolds, a student spokesperson, said Grenier was seriously hurt at the time.
"We don't know yet whether he will lose his eyesight or not," Reynolds told The Canadian Press. "He's in bad shape, so he's resting right now."
Reynolds expressed worry that the injury could increase tension and said police overreacted in a "brutal" fashion.
"It was a reaction that was totally disproportionate with what was going on," Reynolds said.
Jean Charest's government plans to raise tuition by $325 for each for the next five years. Such a raise would still leave Quebec with some of the lowest tuition rates in Canada at $3,793 per year.
Charest has said students should take some of the blame for the protest getting out of hand Wednesday.
"To occupy a building, to scare people -- that obviously has consequences," he said.
"Student leaders need to act responsibly, too. Police do their job the best they can but when student leaders refuse to inform them on their itinerary ... well that obviously increases the risks...
"I'm inviting protesters to work with police -- to inform them, as normally happens (in other protests)."
Students say they will return to the streets on Friday in protest.
