At least 10,000 protesters demonstrated in the streets of Montreal this evening against the FTAA, as part of a hemispheric student strike. The festive protest occupied several city blocks, as it wound its way thru downtown Montreal, including the stock exchange and other parts of the financial district on St-Jacques street. The demo ended in an open-air party in a major park downtown. There were no reported arrests.

Today's demonstration was called in solidarity with protests in Quito, Ecuador, against the FTAA Trade Ministers meeting in that city. The huge turnout in Montreal clearly rekindles local resistance to the FTAA and capitalist globalization that manifested itself 18 months ago in the streets of Quebec City. Today's demonstration, while dominated by striking students from all over Montreal, included a Palestinian solidarity contingent, supporters of non-status Algerians facing deportation from Canada, as well as several anarchist groups.

The main organizing groups behind todays protest were the Association pour une Solidarite Syndicale Etudiante (ASSE) and the Quebec component of the Canadian Federation of Students, supported by various other organizations. The protest was organized with a clear No to the FTAA message, and an effort to link education issues to the broader effects of imperialism and capitalism.