You can see it at McGill, you Can see it across the country," remarked Kate Meier, vice-president (external) at McGill's

Post-Graduate Stu- dents' Society.

Anti-corporate senti- ment also echoed from many of the marchers who chanted such slogans as,

"We want education, tax the corporations."

The Montreal protest wound through the down- town core for about an hour, culminating near theMexican Consulate, where students aimed to show their support for Mexican students who

recently ended a nine- month strike at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (NAUM).

Various sources on Wednesday reported that students in Mexico City were protesting outside the Canadian Embassy in soli- darity with Access 2000. The reports could not be confirmed by press time.

In Ottawa, protest or- ganizers estimated that be- tween 2,000-3,000 univer- sity and high school

students, as well as faculty, marched downtown before reaching Parliament Hill.

CFS national cam- paigns co-ordinator Pam Frache was very pleased with the turnout.

"T think today shows what we know already: that the majority of Canadians are with us in the fight for a restoration of education funding,” she said.

On Parliament Hill, a number of people ad- dressed the crowd - includ- ing Federal New Demo- cratic

Party Leader Alexa McDonough - while joining student advocates in prompting the federal

government to use their budget surplus to rein- vest in social programs.

"If the Liberals have the guts, we have the solu- tion!" said McDonough. "Let's reduce tuition fees!

Let's phase out tuition fees!"

The federal surplus is estimated at more than $95-billion over the next five years. According to

Statistics Canada, tui- tion fees across the country for undergraduate arts pro- grams have increased by 125.9 per cent since 1990, resulting in an average cost of $3,658.

In Toronto, student protestors blocked en- trances to York University. Protestors held cars for three minutes while they marched and let drivers know what was going on. Afterwards, theywould let two cars in at a time.

The Toronto Transit Commission decided not to send their buses onto cam- pus and were dropping stu- dents off at the perimeter of York.

"I think the strike would be more effective if they decided to strike in September or strike when it's registration and nobody decides to register and no- body decides to come to school in September,"said Sandra Miller, a fourth-year psychology student at York.

In downtown To- ronto, an estimated 2,000- 3,000 students and sup- porters swarmed Queen's Parkin an impressive wave.

"I've jumped through hoops long enough,” Joel Harden, the Ontario CFS

chair, told the crowd.

"Today we're taking a different route. Today you have to listen to the thou- sands of us."

Other notable speak- ers at the Toronto protest included Buzz Hargrove, president of the Canadian

Auto Workers' Union, Ontario NDP leader Howard Hampton and Ca- nadian Association of

University Teachers President Bill Graham.

"The province of On- tario provides less to our universities than the private sector," boomed

Graham over the loud speaker, pointing to the leg- islative building. "This gov- ernment is dedicated to

the pursuit of private welfare."

Further west, more than 1,000 students from Manitoba's four major uni- versities walked out of classes.

Following a march through downtown Winni- peg, students went to the University of Winnipeg to

listen to speakers and bands. Students played a friendly game of street hockey, the prize for which was the "Chretien Cup."

And at the University of Regina, students started the Access 2000 day of action with a pancake breakfast, followed by speeches and activities throughout the day.

In Alberta, students at Mount Royal College in Calgary raised placards to show their support for

Access 2000.

A rally was held at noon at Wyckham House, the Students' Association (SA) building, with

speeches from campus leaders.

"I think we inspired and motivated some people

today to join the movement and to speak-out about their concerns," said Elsie Kipp, SA vice-president (exter- nal).

Mount Royal Students were very supportive of the campus initiative. About 60 signatures weregathered for the tuition freeze petition in- side of an hour, and many students also filled out pro- test postcards that will be sent to MLAs and MPs."The key is persist- ence," said Cherie Strid, a first-year journalism student at Mount’ Royal. "Thegovernment needs to know we care."

Meanwhile, out in British Columbia, the Simon Fraser Student So- ciety's took students through an education maze before bussing protestors to downtown Vancouver.

Throughout the morn- ing volunteers were hand- ing out leaflets around cam- pus for the event, while also encouraging students to at- tend the "night of celebra- tion" DJ gig held later in the

about form isn’t it? I could

evening at the Commodore night club.

And on Vancouver Is- land, more than 1,000 stu- dents from the University of Victoria (UVic) and

Camosun College gathered in front of the pro- vincial legislature waving placards.

"Let's be fair, the money is there, spend the surplus now," they chanted along with the radical

cheerleaders, a group of students who waved pom-poms made out of gar- bage bags.

Earlier in the day, be- tween 8 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., about 200 students from UVic barricaded en- trances to the University campus. In the afternoon, the protest moved from the campus grounds to the leg- islature.

"I think education should be free and at least more accessible than it is right now," said Kim

McKay, and a third- year English student at UVic protesting in front of the leg- islature.

be saying almost anything right now and 90% of the people will think it is much more important where the words sit, or how