A man was stabbed and others were injured during large unauthorized student gatherings near Dalhousie University on Saturday and early Sunday.
According to a police press release, “large crowds of intoxicated people” began to gather in an area bounded by Larch Street, Jennings Street, Preston Street and Jubilee Road. at 22:00 on Saturday. Police estimate that there are more than 4,000 people in the area.
People were shooting fireworks into the crowd, some aimed at residences, the statement said.
A homeowner in the area described the scene as chaos.
Resident reaction
“The streets were full of students,” Caitlin Lees told CBC News. “People, people being carried away on stretchers, fireworks going off, lots of cheering as people jumped from trees and balconies … just menacing and unsafe.”
Lees, a mother of two, said she doesn’t believe all of the people were Dalhousie students, but the behavior was unacceptable.
“Like in years past, we had people urinating on our property, defecating all over our property,” he said.
“I saw someone snorting coke. I’ve got two young kids, so that’s not okay with me. I certainly chased a number of students off my property who were dressed in Dal gear.”
There were also disturbances and fights among the crowd, according to the police statement.
The crowd swelled as the night wore on, the statement said, and police were deployed from across the city.
The statement said officers had to remove injured people from the area, including the man who was stabbed, when Emergency Medical Services were unable to access the injured due to crowds and safety risks .
A police news release said officers were kicked, punched, spat on and had objects thrown at them when they tried to disperse the crowd. (Vernon Ramesar/CBC)
When the police moved to disperse the crowd, they were met with resistance. The officers were punched, kicked, spat on and had projectiles thrown at them, according to the statement. Some officers were treated for injuries.
The statement said a fire was started on the road with branches fallen by post-tropical storm Fiona to prevent police from dispersing the crowd.
The police put out the fire
Officers had to put out the fire as Halifax Regional Fire and Emergency could not reach it due to safety concerns, the statement said.
Police were eventually able to disperse the crowd, the statement said. Arrests were made and summary violations were issued.
A student who lives in the area says Dalhousie University is doing nothing to prevent these problems.
“There really aren’t many alternatives to a big party,” said Sam Cutcliffe, a fourth-year oceanography student at Dalhousie.
Cutcliffe said he was camping while the party was going on, but he understands why so many people showed up.
He said the university has strict rules about alcohol on campus that pushes students into the residential area for parties.
“All they’re doing is compounding the problem by standing firm and saying, ‘Absolutely not on campus,’ and then criticizing every time people take it out on the street, and throw up their hands and say, ‘Well, there’s nothing than we could have actually done.”
The university condemns the students’ actions
In a statement, Dalhousie University President Deep Saini condemned the students’ actions.
“We share the frustration of our community and partners regarding last night’s reckless behavior,” it read. “This high-risk and destructive behavior showed a complete disregard for the laws that promote the safety and well-being of our surrounding neighborhoods.”
The Halifax police press release said more information will be released when it becomes available.