Students to rally today for affordability; march to begin at noon at MUN Clocktower
Students will gather at the MUN Clocktower at noon and march to the Confederation Building in a Day of Action. Joined by various unions and community organizations in solidarity, the protest comes amid
soaring tuition fees, a worsening housing crisis, growing food insecurity, and mandatory unpaid
work placements that leave students financially exhausted.
This protest, dubbed “1999’s Unfinished Business”, pays homage to the history of student actions throughout the years that have put issues around affordability and accessible post-secondary education at the forefront of the political conversation.
“Students have been backed into a corner,” said Rana Abuidris, Director of Campaigns for the Memorial University Students Union (MUNSU). “We are paying thousands more in tuition, we can’t afford rent, we’re lining up at food banks, and we’re told to work for free in order to graduate. This is not just unfair, it is exploitation, and students are done being quiet about it.”
Organizers say the timing is deliberate: with a provincial election just weeks away, they want political leaders to know that students’ votes will go to those who act on education and affordability.
“For years, we’ve heard politicians say that students are the future of this province,” Abuidris said. “But their policies are driving us out of Newfoundland and Labrador. If they continue down this path, there won’t be a future left to talk about.”
Hundreds are expected to join the march, which will conclude at the Confederation Building.