Fanshawe Students create riot on St Patrick's Day
Beer bottles, bricks and other debris rained down on police and firefighters in London, Ont., Saturday when St. Patrick’s Day celebrations turned ugly.London police Chief Bradley Duncan, speaking to reporters Sunday, said he had never seen the level of violence and vandalism that he did Saturday night in his more than three decades on the police force.“Last night, London experienced the worst case of civil disobedience our community has ever been subjected to,” Duncan said.He said there was a very real risk that people could have been seriously injured, and even killed, after partygoers turned to setting fires and throwing bottles, stones and two-by-fours at police and firefighters.Burns and other “soft tissue” injuries were instead reported, according to the chief.
Students danced in front of burning furniture, garbage and fencing ripped from neighbour yards.
Seven people were arrested Saturday in connection with the rioting, which caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the street and vehicles.
Duncan urged anyone else involved in the drunken mob should “do the right thing” and turn themselves into police.
The area where the rioting took place is teeming with students who attend nearby Fanshawe College.
Duncan said the street parties were expected, but spiralled out of control after police and the fire department were called about a brush fire around 10 p.m.
“London Fire Department (arrived) and were almost immediately confronted with numerous persons throwing bottles and bricks at the firefighters and fire vehicles,” Duncan said.
‘We are really, really lucky — we can thank our lucky stars — that nobody was killed’
Police then had be brought in, with reinforcements, to escort the firefighters out of the area and they too were met with violence from the mob, the chief said.
Police then had to don their helmets to prevent injury from the flying bottles and other debris.
According to Duncan, about 1,000 people were in the crowd Sunday and police had to attend to the scene until the wee hours of the morning.
“Police vehicles were pounded with two-by-fours, bricks, tire rims and other various items,” Duncan told reporters, resulting in 17 police vehicles being damaged.
“Smoke canisters” were needed to clear out part of the crowd, just so police vehicles could retreat from the area, he added.
By 11 p.m., police declared the gathering an “unlawful assembly” and told the now-rioters to disperse — orders that had little effect, despite repeated warnings.
All of the police cars and other vehicles were removed from the area, but rioters were able to flip a CTV News van and set it on fire. A video posted to YouTube shows the truck ablaze and later exploding.
Rather than send more firefighters into the raging mob, officials determined there was no imminent danger to properties in the area and held back crews from entering.
A CTV television news truck explodes into a fireball after being set on fire in London Saturday night. Fanshawe College president Howard Rundle said Monday six of the 11 people arrested Saturday were Fanshawe students.
London mayor Joe Fontana said the city didn’t deserve the rampant disregard for the city and the public.
“To say I am disappointed and disgusted would be an understatement,” Fontana said.
The mayor called the police and firefighters’ efforts “valiant” in the face of the violence.
“There’s no doubt that when you hear that 800, 900, 1,000 people weren’t fighting among each other,” Fontana said. “(They) essentially directed their attack on the very people who serve our community to protect property and to protect lives.
“We are really, really lucky — we can thank our lucky stars — that nobody was killed.”
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