VIA INSTAGRAM
Close to two dozen people were arrested Saturday afternoon as police responded to several off-campus parties being held by Dalhousie students.
Halifax Regional Police estimate up to 1,500 people were a part of the unsanctioned homecoming events, which took place off-campus in the area of Jennings and Larch streets.
Videos of the disturbance uploaded by those in attendance show a crowd of young men and women in black-and-gold Dalhousie clothing chanting “fuck these cops” at the assembled police presence.
“Just an average riot,” reads one caption. The videos were publicly viewable on Snapchat’s location-based map.
“You got actual lives to save but you’d rather watch a university party?” one woman can be heard yelling at the assembled emergency personnel.
At one point the crowd repeatedly chants “Let her go; let her go” at officers arresting a young blonde woman.
A statement from Halifax police says 22 people were arrested during the parties for a variety of offences under the Liquor Control Act, Criminal Code and HRM bylaw violations.
University president Richard Florizone condemned the students’ actions later in the day, writing on Twitter that he was “disappointed to hear that some students are drinking excessively and disturbing our community.”
3. This kind of behaviour is not reflective of our values and disrespectful to our neighbours. Most importantly, it is unsafe.
— Richard Florizone (@DalPres) October 14, 2017
“Not only is this dumb behaviour and subject to the law, these few students may also be subject to university discipline,” continues Florizone. “Be safe!”
Earlier this school year, Dalhousie banned alcohol in residences during orientation week as part of a harm-reduction policy around student drinking.
The school was sued last fall after international student Xiaomeng (Melody) Shang died from alcohol poisoning following a night of dorm-room drinking.
