Protesters Flooding the Streets in Opposition to Austerity Measures

Hundreds of Protesters Flood Montreal's Streets, Raging Against Budget Cuts and Bill 89

On May Day 2025, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal witnessed a sea of demonstrators fiercely protesting the financial cutbacks under the Legault government. The rally, organized by the Coalition du 1er mai, was a united front of unions, communities, students, and civil society organizations.

Dominique Daigneault, co-spokesperson for the event, passionately voiced, "We are here today because successive governments have been adopting austerity policies that weaken services aimed at the very population we are meant to support."

The union rally, which began at Parc Lalancette, drew a thick crowd of young and old protesters adorned with union logos. The current political climate, marked by Bill 89, has been a catalyst for public discontent. "'We feel an authoritarian turn from the government, reminiscent of the frequent use of the bâillon to push through bills,'" shared Eve Dumas-Bergeron, a CEGEP teacher. "It's concerning."

For veteran protesters like Lise Prud'homme and Carmelle Vigneault, both former CSN members, this was not their first May Day rally. "I think I’ve never missed one!," Prud'homme declared proudly. Vigneault added, "And with Bill 89, it's even more important because our labor rights are regressing."

Immigrant workers have shouldered a significant burden from these austerity measures, according to Cheolki Yoon, co-spokesperson for the rally. " For several years, leaders have been unfairly blaming migrant and immigrant people for problems in our social services, but that's not the truth. It's a tactic to conceal the failure of their public policies."

Parallel to this demonstration, organized by the Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes (CLAC), there were seven arrests, reported the SPVM. The skirmish occurred at Parc Raymond-Préfontaine, where protesters denounced the police force and criticized the government for doing nothing to counter the rising cost of living and precarity across the country.

The events in Montreal were not isolated. Across Canada and globally, reactionary and violent discourses have been on the rise[1], with union leaders warning that Bill 89 would effectively strip the right to strike by allowing almost any sector to be considered "essential"[2][3]. Critics argue the bill's vague language around "vulnerable populations" and "disproportionate effects" makes it possible to criminalize most strikes[3][4].

The struggle for better worker conditions and labor rights continues as the bill remains under discussion, with no confirmed amendments as of early May 2025. Some unions have called for rank-and-file committees to assert independent action beyond traditional union structures[4]. Meanwhile, both unions and the CAQ government insist that the labor minister will only use these powers sparingly[3].

[1] Report: Reactionary and Violent Discourse on the Rise in Canada (Global Affairs Canada, April 2025).

[2] Unions Amplify Opposition to Bill 89 on May Day 2025 (CTV News, May 2025).

[3] CAQ Government Defends Bill 89, Insists Powers Will Only Be Used Sparingly (Global News, April 2025).

[4] Union Leaders Call for Rank-and-File Committees in Response to Bill 89 (The Globe and Mail, May 2025).

Protesters in Quebec, led by the Coalition du 1er mai, rallied against the Legault government's deficits-reducing policies, claiming these measures weakened services for the very people they were intended to support.
union organizer Dominique Daigneault and CEGEP teacher Eve Dumas-Bergeron both expressed concern over Bill 89, fearing it might strip the right to strike and represent an authoritarian turn by the government.
The ongoing struggle for justice, better worker conditions, and labor rights has prompted calls for independent rank-and-file committees to assert action beyond traditional union structures.
The General-news headlines now include a series of protests spreading across Canada and the globe, following the rise of reactionary and violent discourses, with union leaders urging caution against Bill 89's ambiguous language that could potentially criminalize strikes.