'Somebody is going to die': Growing fallout from Dalhousie's unofficial homecoming party

There's plenty of finger pointing, blame and anger in Halifax after thousands of Dalhousie University students took to the streets for an unofficial homecoming party over the weekend.

Police say between 3,000 to 4,000 people attended the annual, unsanctioned event spread over a couple of streets near the university, and there were indications things were getting out of hand.

"I would say it was near riot conditions," Dr. Caitlin Lees, who lives in the area, told CTV News Monday. "People were fighting, there was a fire in the street, and someone was stabbed."

In a statement issued Sunday, Halifax Regional Police (HRP) said dozens of tickets were issued, and officers who intervened found themselves targeted by the crowd.

"Our officers were pelted with anything that was available: beer bottles, cans, to debris that was left behind from the storm," said HRP spokesperson Const. John MacLeod.

The chief of police went further in a letter to Dalhousie's president, suggesting the university should have a "stronger role to play" in controlling unsanctioned events involving Dalhousie students.

But some say that's only part of the problem.

"There are other students from other jurisdictions that are able to plan to come over to this party," said Dalhousie Student Union President Aparna Moham.

"There were students from SMU, there were students from Mount St. Vincent, Acadia, St. FX.  A lot of the students I was meeting were not even from Dal," she said.

For its part, Dalhousie says all of it is disappointing and unacceptable, but discouraging it is an uphill battle, especially with some online sites glorifying and advertising the party lifestyle.

"Particularly social media sites and others who are grabbing on to this idea of unsanctioned homecoming activities," said Dalhousie Vice-Provost Student Affairs, Rick Ezekiel, adding the problem isn't limited to Dalhousie.

"And really, in some instances, at institutions that never had homecoming before, really encouraging students to engage in this type of behaviour," said Ezekiel, citing London, Ontario, Ottawa, and Hamilton, among others.

"Our stance is, it's wildly unacceptable for students to engage in the behaviours we were seeing."

The problem has been ongoing over the years, with several complaints and disciplinary action lodged last year.

Dalhousie had previously warned students about the scheduled event on Sept. 16 and again on Sept. 28.

In an email to CTV News Sunday, a school spokesperson noted, "In addition to major fines levied by HRP for noise infractions, disturbances, property damage and alcohol-related offences, students may also be arrested. Students who engage in harmful behaviours that fall within the jurisdiction of Dalhousie’s Code of Student Conduct or Residence Community Living Standards also risk being sanctioned by Dalhousie through those mechanisms."

For area residents like Lees, the latest event was over the top, but solutions have no easy answers.

She acknowledges students have every right to have a good time, but no one has the right to trash a neighbourhood.

Dalhousie, she says, has a responsibility to encourage a fun and safe environment, but the city needs to enforce its bylaws.

In meantime, she has one worry.

"My biggest fear, actually, is that somebody is going to die."