Villeneuve, the 1997 Formula One world champion, waded into the furore surrounding the protesters, who have used the F1's arrival in Montreal for the Canadian Grand Prix as a chance to make their voice heard. In fact the police made 37 arrests as demonstrators embarked on a nude march as part of a three-month long campaign to oppose the Quebec government's proposed hike in tuition fees.
As protesters attempted to disrupt a cocktail party to herald the F1 weekend, Villeneuve typically pulled no punches.
"It's time for people to wake up and stop loafing about. It's lasted long enough. We heard them. We listened. They should stop. It's costing the city a fortune. It makes no sense... I think these people grew up without ever hearing their parents ever tell them "No". So that's what you see in the streets now. People spending their time complaining. It's becoming a little bit ridiculous. They spoke, we heard, and now it's time to go back to school.'
Such comments from Jacques Villeneuve, a Quebec native and with the track in Montreal named after his father Gilles, sparked a furious backlash.
Aside from a number turning to Twitter to voice their fury at Villeneuve, CBC News reported that Villeneuve had actually received even death threats via email.
