31 people treated in hospital following rowdy unsanctioned street parties in London

Thousands of students packed Broughdale Avenue in London, Ont. for Homecoming parties on Sept. 23, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

London police officers had a busy homecoming weekend responding to street parties where “projectiles” where thrown at officers, property was damaged and other “acts of violence,” a number of charges were laid as a result.

London police say large unsanctioned gatherings took place at a number of locations throughout the city including on Broughdale Avenue, Mill Street, Huron Street, Mayfair Crescent and Epworth Avenue throughout the day and evening Saturday.

Police estimate around 10,000 people were in attendance on those streets throughout the day, with about 7,000 people staying around as the evening wore on. Police had to close several streets as a result, including Broughdale and Epworth avenues to ensure the safety of those in the area, police said in a news release.

“While the majority of young people in attendance were cooperative with police, fire and paramedic services throughout the day, during the evening hours the crowd behaviour showed notable changes as the day progressed,” says Insp. Ryan Scrivens, of the London Police Service.

While police said Saturday there had been no "major incidents" some members of the crowd got rowdy as the night went on. 

“Later into the night, members of the crowd threw projectiles, including cans and bottles, toward both our officers and police vehicles and demonstrated other acts of violence. Some members of the crowd damaged property including a police vehicle, removed street signs and trees from the ground, and several partygoers were observed jumping from rooftops. Some of these behaviours had the potential for life-changing consequences. We are fortunate that we did not have any serious injuries. We would like to thank our officers, community partners, and out-of-town partner agencies (including officers from Windsor, York and Hamilton), for helping throughout the day and evening.”

London Health Sciences reports 31 patients were treated in relation to these street parties.

As a result, police enforced the following charges:

38 Liquor Licence Control Act charges

16 Highway Traffic Act charges

249 Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs), including public nuisance parties, excessive noise and parking charges

10 By-law charges

Two (2) Criminal Code charges – assault with a weapon and possession of property obtained by crime

In addition, police say there were numerous verbal warnings given as officers worked to control the crows and ensure everyone’s safety.