150 Arrested in Canada student protest

The Thursday arrests came as police in riot gear fired tear gas at students participating in an annual protest against police brutality. Police estimate that some 2,000 protesters rallied in the city, also voicing their anger over high tuition fees. Witnesses say in one intersection police fired two loud stun grenades. Police also confirmed the use of chemical irritants such as pepper spray and tear gas. One man was reportedly hit in the forehead with a tear gas canister. The rally came after weeks of massive student protests in Montreal against tuition hikes. Last year, Jean Charest, the prime minister of the province of Quebec, announced that he would raise tuition fees, starting in January 2012 by $325 per annum. The figure would amount to a $1,625 hike for the next five years. Students currently pay around $2,200 annually. In April 2011, another protest in Montreal turned violent and ended with police using stun grenades and pepper spray to disperse the crowd.