London police blocked roads, laid numerous charges, and said dozens were sent to hospital during fake homecoming (FOCO) celebrations near Western University Saturday.
The total numbers of how many warnings, charges, and injuries there were during the infamous party on Broughdale Avenue aren’t out yet, but police tweeted at 4 p.m. that 26 people had been taken to hospital.
Cst. Sandasha Bough said a top priority for officers policing the event was to keep roadways clear.
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“In the past, there were so many people on the street that emergency crews were not able to get access to the street and to those individuals who needed immediate assistance,” said Bough.
“We want the students to have fun, we just want to make sure that they’re doing so responsibly.”
Meanwhile, the University’s Student Council hosted “Purple Fest,” a six-hour event featuring popular musical acts, such as Lil Uzi Vert and Loud Luxury, along with a licensed beer bar.
USC president Mitch Pratt told 980 CFPL that Purple Fest is geared toward keeping students entertained in a safe environment away from the city streets, but Ward 6 councillor Phil Squire didn’t think it was effective.
“I want to commend the student council for doing the best that they can. They put on an entire event to try and divert attention away from Broughdale, but it didn’t work.”
Squire attended Broughdale Avenue during the reveling. He feels the responsibility is falling to the police service to keep things under control.
“This is really a protest against Western administration. I saw a lot of signs on student properties really illustrating that, saying they were having this event to direct it at administration which told them they couldn’t have it.”
FOCO earned its name after Western’s sanctioned homecoming event was pushed to later in the fall, close to students’ midterm exams, in an effort to reduce street partying.
In 2017, FOCO celebrations and unsanctioned street parties resulted in police laying over 60 charges and issuing nearly 1,000 warnings, while 37 people were taken to hospital as a result of the festivities.
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