Carré Rouge

The Carré Rouge, or Red Square movement, was held by Quebec students in 2012 aimed at reversing a major tuition hike by the provincial government. The red square symbol was born from the expression “être carrément dans le rouge”, which means to be “squarely” in the red. While student protests succeeded in blocking the tuition increase, the government later quietly modified income tax rules and revoked access by full-time students to the low wage earner credits. As a result, the government effectively increased their cost of living and partially countered the movement’s victory. The government lost the following elections in part due to their controversial handling of the activists and their demands.