8 Fanshawe College students suspended after St. Patrick Day riot in London
Posted March 19, 2012 7:03 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Eight college students have been suspended in the wake of a St. Patrick’s Day riot in London, Ont., that has investigators scouring social media to identify and track down suspects.
“The actions of some of our students not only endangered themselves but put our emergency responders and our community at great risk,” Fanshawe College president Howard Rundle said during a news conference Monday.
“This is unacceptable. It will not be tolerated, it will not be excused, and we will not have those people as students of this college.”
Rundle said he was disappointed and angry over the massive street fire fuelled by an intoxicated crowd of about 1,000 revellers who attacked police and firefighters.
The college, he added, is taking the matter “very seriously” and conducting its own investigation. That includes setting up a secure e-mail account to receive information and video.
Students have also started a Facebook page to identify suspected rioters, and that information will be shared with police.
Eleven people, including the Fanshawe students, were arrested and police expect to bring in many more as they go through video and witness statements. Another two were arrested Monday, bringing the total to 13.
Six students were placed under interim suspensions as the result of charges laid by the police on the weekend, and another two were suspended Monday morning.
“I am sorry that this has happened in our community and I am sorry that is detracting from the reputation of one of the finest colleges in this country,” Rundle said.
Hundreds of Fanshawe students were said to be involved in the riot, which took place in a neighbourhood described as a student enclave notorious for its parties. It has been the site of previous disturbances, although none as large as the weekend outburst.
But, Rundle added, there were also students there from local high schools, “much too young to be out of the watchful eye of their parents”, as well as some from other institutions and people from outside London.
“We need to focus on working together with police and the city to ensure this never happens again,” Rundle said.
No one was seriously injured in the riot, which drew attention outside of Canada after it was picked up by the BBC and several other news outlets in the U.K.
London police Chief Brad Duncan said it could have turned into something far worse, and resulted in someone being killed.
