Quebec unrest generates 3,000 news reports in 77 countries

[Joe Shlabotnik]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/quebec-unrest-generates-3000-news-reports-in-77-countries-analysis/article2445875/

"Influence analyst Caroline Roy said the student crisis generated 66-times more foreign news coverage in two months than Canada’s entire mission in Afghanistan"

"Earlier in the dispute, 79 per cent of news stories focused on the tuition-fee increase that initially ignited the student movement. More recently, however, only four per cent of the Quebec-based coverage has focused on the tuition hikes
The analysis found that in the last two weeks 39 per cent of what was written about Montreal, from around the world, included at least one of the following expressions: “massive arrests,” “riots” and “violence.”"

"Some international coverage has painted the protests in a more favourable light. Writers who follow the Occupy movement have been covering the situation in Quebec, even describing it as an inspiration for other social causes"

***********
Nice to see. Personally I heard very little about the protest up until a few weeks ago. My impression is that Canadian press wanted this story to remain regional, and hopefully go away. It hasn't. I hope Canadians realize that the rest of the world is taking note.

I've noticed also that in the readers comment sections in Canadians newspapers that were brimming last fall with "I don't get Occupy", "Why don't those lazy kids get a job" crowd, are still there, but now bashing the students, dwelling on the tuition hike itself, and blaming the province of Quebec as an entitlement-greedy province. This faithful cadre of mouth breathers seem to be increasingly at odds with growing segment of the population who do 'get it', and sense that there are issues of inequality that ALL Canadians should be getting up in arms about.

Meanwhile, negotiations continue in good faith.... oh wait....

Student negotiator among dozens arrested after Quebec City talks

"Philippe Lapointe, the negotiator for CLASSE, had just left the bargaining table at the end of Monday's meeting in Quebec City to witness the arrests of protesters outside the building where the talks were being held. He was promptly taken away by riot police."

"Léo Bureau-Blouin, the leader of another student group, tried to negotiate with police to stop the arrests and allow the protesters to disperse. But police ignored Mr. Bureau-Blouin, president of the federation of college students, and continued to round them up."
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/student-negotiator-among-dozens-arrested-after-quebec-city-talks/article2445474/

Once again, everything looks like nail to a (bag of) hammer(s). Way to go police.