Violent clash near Fanshawe College

www.lfpress.com

PARTY MAYHEM: Fanshawe College vows action if any students were involved in mob scene

By CHIP MARTIN AND JONATHAN SHER

2nd November 2009

Fanshawe College students involved in this weekend’s violent clash with police and street riot near the college face academic sanctions as well as criminal charges.

A bitterly disappointed college president Howard Rundle vowed action against students implicated in the melee ranging from promises not to misbehave again, up to and including suspensions and expulsion.

« This is certainly a black mark, » Rundle said after hearing media reports of a student party that got out of hand on Thurman Circle and a crowd of about 500 pelted police with beer bottles, overturned vehicles, smashed windows and damaged property. In all, 22 participants were charged.

The donnybrook attracted every available police officer in the city from about 1 a.m. onward Saturday.

Rundle conceded college officials had been feeling good about student conduct this year because a heavy police presence kept students under control at beginning-of-year parties. The focus had been on the modest subdivision along Fleming Drive just east of campus where violent outbursts had occurred in previous years.

« Things have been so much better this year in terms of student behaviour off-campus, » he said. But with Halloween on a Saturday, combined with fine weather, progress was quickly undone, he said.

The college president said he expects to get information from police this week about who was charged and that will be the starting point for college officials to apply a recently beefed-up student code of conduct.

« We will take our own action on top of whatever the police do, » he said.

« If we find Fanshawe students were involved in serious incidents like assaults or injuring somebody, then we will take action against them. If they do something that is harmful to other people off campus, we argue they are therefore a danger on campus. »

Police said the incident quickly got out of hand, once they arrived, in response to citizen complaints.

« It was basically raining beer bottles, » Const. Kevin Lui said.

A paramedic who watched from a safe distance said what unfolded looked like what might be found on the streets of Russia, with police wearing riot gear and holding plastic shields repeatedly advancing through the crowd as they tried to restore order.

« It looked like Russia . . . It was kind of a shame (this was needed) in the city of London, » said Rick Payne, a duty manager for Thames EMS.

At 1:04 a.m., police received a call asking for help with a man at 184 Thurman who had fallen, hit his head and was unconscious, but police wouldn’t allow paramedics to get him until the area had been made safe and secure.

The first two officers at the scene were forced to retreat to protect themselves. Then police called in every available officer in London, about 40 in all.

Some of those officers, away from the main contingent, quietly got close enough to the students to throw devices designed to break up a crowd. Some students later said it looked like tear gas, but Lui said something else was used. He wouldn’t disclose what type because he didn’t want to publicize police tactics.

Enough of the crowd stood their ground that police arrested 22 — too many to fit in the regular police wagon, so some were put in a security van designed to transport prisoners to and from the courthouse.

One of those 22 was charged with assaulting a cop — the only one identified so far of the many who threw beer bottles, Lui said.

« This is as bad as it’s been this school year, » he said.

The others were charged with forming an unlawful assembly — most of those arrested were 18- or 19-years-old.

« It appeared to have been a student party, » Lui said.

City work crews were left to clean up the aftermath at taxpayer expense.

« It’s just a disaster out there, » Lui said.

The mayhem will cost taxpayers in other ways, too — some police who were supposed to finish their shifts at 1 a.m. didn’t wrap up until six hours later.

Fanshawe Riot

www.cjbk.com/news

Mon, 2009-11-02

Miranda Chant

The president of Fanshawe College is warning there could be suspensions and expulsions after what is being called a black mark on the school.

An out of control party on Thurman Circle degenerated into a street riot early Saturday morning.

Beer bottles were thrown at police, cars were overturned and windows were smashed.

Howard Rundle says he’ll likely get names from police this week and will then decide what kind of punishment those students will get from the school.

In all 22 people were arrested, one has been charged with assaulting a police officer.

Uproar By Students At Fanshawe in London

2009/11/2

This story out of London making some local parents a little nervous… Fanshawe College in London says suspensions and expulsions are possible following a weekend riot. A crowd of about 500 people pelted police with beer bottles, overturned vehicles, smashed windows and damaged property. In all, 22 people were charged in what college president Howard Rundle calls a « black mark. » He says he’s waiting for police to provide the names of those arrested before deciding what action to take. No word if any of those students are from Norfolk.

Party turns ugly

Posted By JONATHAN SHER, SUN MEDIA

2 novembre 2009

A mob of hundreds near Fanshawe College swarmed moving vehicles and launched a barrage of beer bottles and debris at police after a weekend party turned ugly and dangerous.

Police estimate a party of almost 500 people on Thurman Circle caused havoc there early Saturday morning.

« It was basically raining beer bottles, » Const. Kevin Lui said.

A paramedic who watched from a safe distance said what unfolded looked like what might be found on the streets of Russia, with police wearing riot gear and holding plastic shields repeatedly advancing through the crowd as they tried to restore order.

« It looked like Russia . . . It was kind of a shame (this was needed) in the city of London, » said Rick Payne, a duty manager for Thames EMS.

Police were called to the scene by concerned citizens who said a mob had been turning over vehicles, breaking windows of residences, causing property damage, climbing on wooden fences and swarming approaching vehicles as they attempted to drive down the street.

At 1:04 a. m., police received a call asking for help with a man at 184 Thurman who had fallen, hit his head and was unconscious but police couldn’t allow paramedics to get him until the area had been made safe and secure.

The first two officers at the scene were forced to retreat to protect themselves, then police called in every available officer in London, about 40 in all.

Some of those officers, away from the main contingent, quietly got close enough to the students to throw devices designed to break up a crowd — some students later said it looked like tear gas but Lui said something else was used but wouldn’t disclose what type because he didn’t want to publicize police tactics.

Enough stood their ground that police arrested 22 — too many to fit in the regular police wagon so some were put in a security van designed to transport prisoners to and from the courthouse.

One of those 22 was charged with assaulting a cop — the only one identified so far of the many who threw beer bottles, Lui said.

« This is as bad as it’s been this school year, » he said.

The others were charged with forming an unlawful assembly — most of those arrested were 18-or 19-years-old.

« It appeared to have been a student party, » Lui said.

City work crews were left to clean up the aftermath at taxpayer expense.

« It’s just a disaster out there, » Lui said.

The mayhem will cost taxpayers in other ways too — some police who were supposed to finish their shifts at 1 a. m. didn’t wrap up until six hours later.

Rioting Halloween mob wreaks havoc in northeast

10/31/2009

A massive crowd of what police say reached approximately 500 people geared up into riot mode early Saturday (Oct. 31), flipping vehicles, breaking windows, and swarming vehicles driving through the neighbourhood.

The crowd was so massive and rowdy that at one point in the evening – just after 1 a.m., emergency services could not get into the area to respond to a report of a man needing medical assistance after he fell and hit his head, knocking himself unconscious.

Const. Kevin Lui, with London police, said officers had to escort paramedics into the area and the injured man received the medical attention required.

« There were no other injuries reported as a result of the disturbance, » Lui said.

Police said the incident began just before 12:30 a.m., when a call came in from a concerned citizen regarding a large student party in the area of 280 Thurman Circle.

Police then received additional calls reporting a crowd of more then 300 people « partying in the street, turning over vehicles, breaking windows of residences, causing property damage, climbing on wooden fences, and swarming vehicle as they attempted to drive down the street, » police said.

When officers arrived they encountered « a large tumultuous crowd of approximately 500 people who began to chant anti-police slogans and throw beer bottles, » police said.

While waiting for additional units to arrive the crowd continued its « tumultuous behaviour slowly advancing towards the police and continually throwing beer bottles, glass plates and various debris at the officers, » police said.

Lui said the Emergency Response Section as well as all plain clothed officers were dispatched to the scene to lend assistance to the original police responders. « As a result of the overwhelming risk to public and emergency personnel’s safety within the entire neighbourhood, the crowd was deemed to be an Unlawful Assembly and overt crowd control/dispersement measure were employed by police. »

Lui said 22 people were arrested for being participants of an Unlawful Assembly, one male suspect, who officers on scene were able to positively identify as throwing beer bottles, was arrested and charged with assault police.

London police had in place an operational plan and had deployed additional officers in anticipation of addressing issues associated with the Halloween weekend.

« However, in light of the extreme level of disorderly and unlawful conduct displayed in the Thurman Circle neighbourhood, an even greater police deployment will occur this evening (Oct. 31) throughout the city and specifically in the Thurman Circle neighbourhood, » police said, adding « public disorder and unlawful acts will not be tolerated and will be met with a strong police response and strict enforcement. »

Informations

Fanshawe College is a large college in London, Ontario, Canada. It also has campuses in Simcoe, St. Thomas, Woodstock, Tillsonburg, and Strathroy. There are about 15 000 full-time students and 40 000 part-time students.

1001 Fanshawe College Blvd./P.O. box 7005
London, Ontario
Email: mclindsay@fanshawec.ca

~ par Alain Bertho sur 2 novembre 2009.

Publié dans émeutes, riots