Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic issued a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying he was concerned over the incidents which took place in Victoria Park on Monday night.
“I am deeply concerned by the level of reckless hooliganism experienced from a significant group of young people in Victoria Park and on surrounding streets yesterday evening,” the mayor said. “The unsanctioned gathering quickly escalated into a situation marked by unsafe and violent behaviour, including the inappropriate use of fireworks.”
“These actions were unacceptable and posed significant risks to public safety. The unauthorized use of fireworks not only endangered those present, but also caused undue stress and harm to our community.”
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Vrbanovic went on to thank police and emergency services for clearing out the city’s main park on Monday night.
“As a result of this event, I have asked our staff to debrief both internally, and with our community emergency service partners on the events of yesterday evening, and to investigate what steps can be taken to prevent such incidents from occurring again,” he stated.
Waterloo Regional Police said they were forced to clear the park on Monday night after several issues arose among those who were in the park on the holiday.
Police said there were several fights, crowds of people blocking roads and businesses in the area, as well as people shooting fireworks at police and from moving vehicles.
They said officers were initially dispatched to the park at around 7:30 p.m., as people were reportedly shooting fireworks off at others in the park as well as buildings.
Over the next four hours, 19 officers worked alongside several bylaw officers to clear the park of several hundred people and restore safety to the area.
Police said a 14-year-old was arrested and is facing charges of assault and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
They said officers are continuing to investigate the evening’s events.
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