Halifax Regional Police say there will be “consequences,” following a number of unsanctioned Dalhousie University homecoming parties in the city’s south end Saturday night where thousands of partygoers filled the streets.
According to a statement from police on Sunday afternoon, it’s estimated 3,000 to 4,000 people crowded the areas of Larch, Preston and Jennings streets into Jubilee Road, beginning at 10 p.m.
“Participants were climbing poles and trees, fireworks were being set off in the crowd and in some cases directed towards residences. Disturbances and fights were occurring within the large crowd,” the news release said.
Halifax police said they ended up calling in patrol divisions from across the city as the crowds grew in size.
“Officers attempted to disperse the crowd and were met with a high level of resistance. Bottles, cans and debris from the storm were thrown at officers,” said HRP.
“Along with being hit with projectiles, officers were punched, kicked and spit on. Some officers required treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.”
Police detailed there were a number of injured people they had to bring out, including a man who was stabbed. HRP said an ambulance could not get to the injured person “due to the crowds and safety hazards.”
As well, police allege a fire was set in the street using downed branches from Fiona “in an attempt to prevent officers from dispersing the crowd.”
Once again, police said officers ended up putting out the fire because firefighters could not get in to the area due to safety concerns.
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In the end, HRP said they were able to disperse the crowd in a couple of hours, after making “a number” of arrests and handing out dozens of summary offence tickets.
“Halifax Regional Police would like to reiterate that there are consequences for this behaviour, and express our disappointment at these callous and dangerous acts just days after a devastating storm ravaged many parts of our province and impacted our community,” the statement concluded.
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Student union president concerned about police response
Meanwhile, Dalhousie Student Union president, Aparna Mohan, has expressed concern about the police response on Saturday night.
She told Global News she began receiving texts and calls about the situation as the evening wore on, and went to the scene on Larch Street at around 11 p.m. to see if she could help students.
She said while she does not condone some of the actions she witnessed from partygoers, she also felt the police reaction was unwarranted.
“The use of pepper spray was not a clear response to any particular incident,” she said.
“This is a complex social issue that requires complex thinking rather than the reactionary responses that we have been seeing from the community. Because even with the pepper spraying and even with the tickets being issued, the party wasn’t necessarily shut down or didn’t dissipate until much later.”
Parties and unsanctioned gatherings in the neighbourhoods around the university have been an ongoing concern. The university began a “collaborative process” earlier this year with members of the community following renewed complaints.
An independent report was released with several recommendations, which includes providing “new and expanded alternatives to draw some energy from Big Parties.”
Mohan said the student union “gratefully engaged” in these conversations, but did not receive the necessary funding for a proposed outdoor concert. She said the union supported on-campus harm reductions, but that police and the municipality did not take part in the process.
“I don’t think there’s been a real opportunity for city council, for example, to sit down with students or police to sit down with students and neighbours to sit down with students and understand how folks can meet each other halfway,” she said.
“What was on display last night was, to me, the complete breakdown of any relationship between the students of the city and all different community members. And students here in the city have been have feeling increasingly antagonized, increasingly disenfranchised and disempowered.”
‘High-risk party culture’
As recently as last Wednesday, the university’s president, Deep Saini, issued a memo warning students not to take part in unsanctioned parties — reminding them to “please make responsible choices.”
In a statement on Sept. 16 in anticipation of unsanctioned “HOCO” off-campus parties, Dalhousie University said these events and “high-risk party culture, fueled by social media” are a growing problem in Canada.
On Sunday, Saini said the university would be investigating and determining “appropriate consequences” for those who were involved in or helped to organize this year’s party.
“To our neighbours, we certainly understand why you are disappointed and angry. Once again, you have been made to feel unsafe in your own home. We stand beside you in our commitment to continue to confront toxic and unsafe party culture,” he said in a statement.
A similar unsanctioned street party was held last year, where police arrested 10 people for public intoxication.
Mohan echoed the sentiment that these types of gatherings have become more prevalent, and not just in Halifax.
“There are aspects of the parties that we’ve seen in the last five years that are unprecedented. There are specific characteristics,” she said.
“I do not yet have answers to why this particular style of partying and disrupting the neighbourhood has been so compelling for some of our students. But it’s one that I am committed to as a leader, working with the community to understand and approach with an openness and creativity that still champions and lives the values that we preach.”
She added that some students have organized a clean-up effort on Sunday.
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