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Laurier homecoming crowd forces closure of Ezra Avenue

Waterloo police attempted to keep a handle on parties in the university area on Saturday. @WRPSToday/Twitter

Waterloo Regional Police were forced to close Ezra Avenue for several hours Saturday afternoon after Wilfrid Laurier homecoming celebrations got out of hand.

“We’ve seen some concerning behaviour in regards to alcohol consumption and that behaviour has led to some potentially dangerous situations,” Waterloo police Const. Andre Johnson said.

READ MORE: Guelph police respond to 586 calls during Homecoming 2018

He said one area resident had a fence destroyed and that some students were climbing trees. In one instance, emergency services were called to the top of a ninth-floor apartment building after students were seen hanging out on the ledge.

Johnson said multiple tickets had also been handed out for various alcohol-related offences.

At around 2 p.m., Rob Crossan, deputy chief of Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services, said that paramedics had answered six calls in the area, all for alcohol-related issues.

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READ MORE: 22,400 party on Waterloo’s Ezra Street for St. Patrick’s Day

“That number is going to go up dramatically based upon past experiences,” he warned.

Just before 7 p.m., police announced on Twitter they had re-opened the area around Ezra Avenue as crowds had dispersed.

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