Montreal witnessed a massive mobilization today, with over fifty thousand people in the streets, possibly nearing one hundred thousand, in one of the largest inter union demonstrations in recent years. At the heart of this moment stood the migrant justice contingent, including the Immigrant Workers Centre and Solidarity Across Borders, affirming that the fight for migrant rights is inseparable from the broader struggle of the working class in Quebec.

Major labour federations and community organizations marched in rejection of the Legault government’s right wing assault on public services, collective rights, and social protections, from the collapse of the health system to the shortage of teachers to the decline of social services, all the way to laws that weaken workers’ ability to organize and defend themselves.

Migrant workers were at the front lines of the march, as they are the most exposed to employer pressure, restrictive laws, closed work permits, and increasingly narrow pathways to residency. They form an essential part of the labour force, yet they pay the highest price whenever the state abandons its responsibilities toward workers.

Protesters also denounced Bill fourteen, which comes into force today and grants the Labour Minister the power to impose minimum service levels during strikes, undermining collective action at a time when workers need more strength and support, not more restrictions.

What happened today is not just a large march, but a turning point in Quebec’s social struggle. The massive crowds revealed a widening divide between the public and the Legault government, reinforcing a broad understanding that defending migrant rights and defending workers’ rights is one united fight, and that any attack on one sector of the working class will be met with collective resistance.