Students plan on all-night sit-in

A sit-in in front of l'Universit du Qubec Montral on Sainte-Catherine Streetdragged into the evening on Monday, with studentshaulingcouches out of a nearby university building.

They lounged in thebalmy weather of an early spring,playing music and making art while Montreal police looked on.

Some made tentative plans to stay the night.

The studentsbegan the peaceful demonstrationearly Monday afternoon, blockingaccess to traffic at the intersection of Sainte-Catherine and Sanguinet streets.

Police stood by but seemed content to wait them out.

The students mostly from UQAM were joined by others from CGEP Vieux-Montral the institution that was vandalized on Feb. 17 when demonstrations against planned tuition fee hikes first began to escalate.

Student protests continued to disrupt university activities at at least two institutions on Monday.

In Quebec City, students at l'Universit Laval blocked access to the education building, where several administrators including rector Denis Brire have their offices.

At least one personwas arrested.

Administrators at the Universit du Qubec Montral (UQM) pre-emptively locked four buildings to prevent students from carrying out a rumoured occupation.

The four buildings house the education, law and political science departments.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 students are enrolled in the affected departments.

On Montreal's South Shore, teachers at the Collge douard-Montpetit picketed the school early Monday morning, in support of striking students.

An estimated 130,000 college and university students have declared themselves on strike across Quebec.

They are protesting tuition hikes expected to take effect later this year.