Students rally against tuition hike in Quebec City

Students in Quebec City are rallying in protest of proposed tuition fee hikes with a march on the National Assembly.

More than 70 buses filled with students are descending on Parc des Braves and will start the two kilometre march just after 2 p.m.

In the past two weeks, the number of students who have joined an unlimited general strike in the province has grown to more than 80,000.

The students are calling for a stop to proposed tuition increases that would see their costs rise by about $1,600 over five years.

Student associations say their members can barely make ends meet now with the cost of housing, books and other expenses.

Education Minister Line Beauchamp said Thursday morning the government is not budging on the proposed increases.

The government has said that, even with the increases, students in Quebec will be paying some of the lowest tuition fees in the country.

Beauchamp asked the students in Quebec City to protest respectfully and not to block traffic.