Queen principal issues warning to students in bid to avoid another holiday weekend – Kingston | The Canadian News

Queen’s University doesn’t want to see a replay of last weekend, when roughly 8,000 people gathered at one point during welcome celebrations in the University District.

However, Queen’s University principal Patrick Deane says initial reports suggest that roughly a third of the defendants were Queen’s students.

“It would seem that in any case there is evidence that it was not just the students on the streets and that, I think, speaks to my point that this is a much more disturbing event because it draws people from outside our community to cause trouble. Deane said.

Deane issued a statement warning students not to meet for the second weekend in a row after more than 100 people were fined and some charged under the Penal Code.

There was also a stabbing in Victoria Park, and the two men killed over the weekend were also seen in security footage in the university district.

Deane says the dangers go beyond the pandemic.

“Students should be aware that participating in these meetings is not necessarily safe. Regardless of public health considerations, ”Deane said.

“There is the threat of danger to themselves in events that are being fed or in some other way waving agitators or people who wish to cause greater problems in our community.”

The unauthorized parties have been a burden on emergency services, and the city had to bring in police from other jurisdictions to help control crowds.

2:50Thousands of people participate in unauthorized street parties during Queen’s University Homecoming Weekend

Queen’s has given the city $ 350,000 to cover surveillance costs in the University District, but that won’t go very far considering the force spent $ 124,000 in September alone to patrol the residential area around Queen’s.

“If the challenges to the city and the use of the city’s resources became more important than that, I would look forward to having a conversation with the mayor and he, I’m sure, would feel free to start that conversation with me.” Deane said.

“We understand this and we see that we are in a partnership.”

Patrick Deane’s letter to students cautions that the legal assembly limits are still in effect and students should expect that there will be consequences for ignoring them.