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Update: Classes cancelled as peaceful protest takes place at UQAM.

More than 250 students at the Université du Québec à Montréal occupied a building Wednesday night where, during the afternoon, police arrested 21 protesters.

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Shortly before midnight, 150 remaining students said they intended to stay the night. Police had massed discreetly outside, but said they had no intention of intervening.

School administrators called for police aid twice during the day to dispel demonstrators who were attempting to disrupt classes.

On their second visit of the day, police arrested 11 women and 10 men at around 3 p.m. During a tense standoff between students and police officers in the basement of the J.-A.-DeSève building on Ste-Catherine St. near St-Denis St., professors stepped in between lines of police officers and students, and managed to defuse the situation. The arrested protesters were taken into custody and detained for questioning at the police station on Guy St.