Welcome parties in London, Ontario. were calm, but more data is still awaited – London | The Canadian News

For most of Saturday, the unauthorized street parties surrounding Western University’s Homecoming were much quieter than what had been seen in London, Ontario, before the COVID-19 pandemic, but authorities say they are lacking. of data about what happened at night.

In an update shared Monday afternoon, police say the “unauthorized student event on Broughdale Avenue and surrounding streets” drew about 2,000 people at its peak on Saturday, representing only a fraction of the 25,000 people seen. in 2019.

“While there were no major incidents to report, the event put significant strain on emergency services,” police added.

In a summary of the day’s activity, police say 20 provincial offense notices were issued under the Liquor Licensing Act and dozens of fines were issued or are being prosecuted for a variety of reasons.

Most of the fines come from parking violations, with 66 tickets handed out and three vehicles towed. Twelve tickets were issued for noise, attending an annoying public party, using a closed street, or urinating in public. Three fines were also issued under the public nuisance statute for people on rooftops.

Only one person was arrested, but he was warned and released without charge, and police say no criminal charges were filed during the day. Local paramedics responded to seven calls and two people were taken to hospital.

However, police noted that the activity summary only covers what happened between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.

“The police are aware that there were a number of additional large gatherings during the night, and statistics regarding law enforcement at those meetings are not currently available,” police said.

“If the information is available in the future, it will be shared as appropriate.”

At a news conference Monday, Mayor Ed Holder said that “the vast majority of those at Western behaved responsibly over the weekend,” adding that those who attended the parties on Broughdale Avenue were “in respectful general “.

“However, it was a somewhat different story overnight and overnight on Saturday, specifically in the Huron Street area,” Holder said.

City ordinance officers responded to 24 noise complaints during that time, several of which were referred to police due to the size of the crowd, Holder said.

“In addition, and based on the evidence that is still being reviewed and compiled, it is very possible that we will see additional charges issued later in the week, including violations of the Section 22 order of the medical health officer.”

Holder added that he does not yet have a final figure for the cost of policing the student party on Saturday, but noted that the 2019 celebrations left a bill of more than $ 300,000.

Officer beaten during nightly arrest

Part of the shift in tone from the daytime party to nighttime festivities was seen in an arrest announced by police on Monday.

It was around 11:40 p.m. Saturday when officers near Richmond and Huron streets observed a man urinating on a marked police vehicle, according to police.

When an officer told the man he was under arrest, police said that “the suspect struck the officer several times with a closed fist,” leaving the officer with minor injuries.

More officers arrived to help as the suspect resisted arrest, according to police.

A 21-year-old Londoner has been charged with assaulting a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest and public intoxication.

He has been released but is scheduled to appear in court in London on December 23.

Other officials react

Ward 6 Coun. Phil Squire, whose seat on the city council represents the areas where officers observed the festivities on Saturday, says that while authorities were able to avoid mass gatherings on Broughdale Avenue, the festivities had spread to nearby Huron Street for most of the year. day.

“They (regrouped) around 9 p.m. on Huron Street, you’re talking about 1,500 people, and that lasted until 3 a.m., and I think the challenge was that it was a different kind of crowd in the sense that it was a bit more intense crowd, more contentious crowd, ”Squire said.

“Homecoming is not going to go away. It may be different due to our planning as a city, but the idea that it will disappear is too hopeful at the moment. “

In a statement sent to Global News Monday afternoon, Western condemned the unauthorized street parties over the weekend, saying they “in no way represent the values ​​of Western, or the majority of our students.”

The university praised the work of local police, fire, paramedics and other agencies that helped monitor the events on Saturday, noting that Western will investigate all complaints made through its Student Code of Conduct.

Western also asked students who attended any party to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms and to visit their campus testing and vaccination site if they were unwell.

“These dangerous events place an undue burden on our frontline workers and are of great concern to Western and the community at large,” the university said.

“There is no excuse for breaking the law, taxing emergency response professionals, and damaging public property.”

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