Thousands hit streets in Montreal to protest Quebec government cost-cutting

MONTREAL – Thousands of people hit the streets of Montreal on Saturday to protest the Quebec government’s cost-cutting measures.

Quebec is hiking daycare fees, shedding civil-service jobs and reducing expenses across the board in a bid to post a balanced budget in 2015-16.

The demonstration attracted families, students and union members and disrupted traffic in parts of the downtown core.

Organizers promised more protests and vowed they will not give up fighting Premier Philippe Couillard’s drive to cut costs.

Couillard says the government has no choice but to adopt strict austerity measures given the province’s dire financial picture.