Hundreds of students gathered in Montreal on Tuesday to mark International Interns Day and demonstrate in favour of paid internships. They say students are struggling with the cost of living, studying and working and want the new PQ government to provide more support. Organizers say they have spent the last decade trying to get the government’s attention on the issue. “We hope that today is the last time we have to do that, because we hope that the new government will change that,” said Abdelmajid El-Mouhib of student organization Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec. Paid internships were part of the PQ’s election platform. “We expect the PQ to act on that,” said Loic Goyette, president of l’Union étudiante du Québec. “We want the government to act fast on that.” Quebec Solidaire says unpaid internships especially affect female-dominated professions. “Being a student should not be a luxury, being a student should not put you in debt,” said QS MNA Gisele Pouhe Njall. The opposition party promised to ensure the issue isn’t ignored in the next session, said co-spokesperson Ruba Ghazal. “It’s a test for the PQ for their economic budget update in December,” she said. Several demonstrations took place across the province Tuesday, part of a greater movement of students speaking out about issues affecting them. Students at West Island CEGEP Gerald Godin voted to walk out in solidarity, one of several schools that cancelled classes Tuesday. Along with paid internships, they are calling on the government to invest more in education, including infrastructure. “We have too many students for the capacity of the CEGEP. They also decided to add some evening classes, so we feel the need every single day. We cannot continue to live with that anymore,” said student union president Yassin Albouchi. While they wait to see what the government will do, demonstrators say they’re determined to continue demonstrating “I think it’s the beginning of something,” said El-Mouhib. “We have all this week, and I think the students are not stopping.”
