SUBSCRIBE to Next Media Animation: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=NMAtv<br /><br />Tuition hikes are the culprit behind an increase in student strikes across Canada. The Canadian government's proposal to raise tuition fees by 75% ($1,625) over the next five years has created social unrest among students. Approximately 170,000 students are on strike and rallies have even reached up to 200,000 protesters at a time.<br /><br />Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMAtv<br />Webpage: http://www.nma.tv/<br />Twitter @nmatv: https://twitter.com/#!/nmatv<br />Tumblr: http://nmatv.tumblr.com/<br /><br />Although tuition in Québec is the lowest in North America, students still refuse to pay an extra $325 a year. The average tuition rate in Canada is $2,519 while the U.S. average is nearly 12 times this amount at $31,000. Strikers aren't as concerned about the finances as they are the symbolism behind the increases, and the way the government is treating the situation.<br /><br />Peaceful protesters have been vilified by the media and beat up by police. One student may have even lost partial vision due to a flash-bang grenade fired from close range. Protesters are trying to stop what they feel is the government's attempt to take money from the poor/middle class and transfer it to the rich.<br /><br />The Québécois youth have dubbed their movement the "Printemps érable," or Maple Spring. This name is a play on the pronunciation which sounds like, "Arab Spring," -- an inspiration for America's occupy movement.
