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As Quebec students protest against increases in their tuition once again, many critics argue the province’s youth activists are simply being unrealistic. After all, they argue, everyone must pay their way. There’s no free ride. Times have always been tough for people. The young just have to roll up their sleeves, get down to business, make the best of what they’ve got, accept reality and fill in this space with your own meaningless cliché here.

What the students are asking for is pretty basic. They’re arguing that tuition should remain inexpensive so that it remains accessible to lower-income Quebecers. They argue that austerity measures disproportionately harm the poor and middle-class (and it’s clear they’re right about that) and argue that the tax system needs to be readjusted so that it is truly progressive — to ensure that the wealthier among us pay our fair share.

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But the hostility with which the students’ ideas have been met is a bit odd, to say the least. Last week on social media, I saw an outpouring of hate for the students, who again were referred to as out of touch with reality, spoiled and lazy. One person went as far as to say she wished a cop would kill one of the students (this person was promptly blocked by a number of Facebook users).