Thousands gather on Halifax streets for chaotic Dalhousie University homecoming parties; one person stabbed

Thousands of party-goers filled several streets in Halifax Saturday night as part of unsanctioned Dalhousie University homecoming events, according to Halifax Regional Police.

Around 10 p.m., a crowd of 3,000 to 4,000 “intoxicated people” started gathering on Larch, Preston and Jennings streets, eventually making their way to Jubilee Road, police said in a news release.

Police say they pulled several injured people from the crowd, including a man who was stabbed, but police did not indicate the severity of his injuries.

Adrian, a student who asked CTV News not to use his last name, called the party a “disaster.”

“It was shoulder-to-shoulder basically the whole length of the street,” said Adrian. “It was just house parties galore, like just people on roofs, people in trees.”

Homecoming is a fall tradition among Dalhousie students. A similar party at the event last year saw police arrest 10 people for public intoxication.

According to students, a few parties started around noon Saturday and crowds grew drastically throughout the day.

“The boys were rallying, chucking beer cans,” said student Logan Denison.

Officers tried to disperse the crowd, but say they faced a “high level of resistance,” with bottles, cans and debris from post-tropical storm Fiona thrown at officers.

It’s been reported officers were also punched, kicked and spat on, with some requiring medical care.

However, some are also accusing police of using excessive force. In videos circulating online, officers appear to shove people in the crowd and wield cans of pepper spray.

Dalhousie Student Union President Aparna Mohan condemned the “violence” used by police in a Twitter thread, writing “Students texted me saying @HfxRegPolice had begun to pepper spray, tear gas & jump partygoers at Larch Street tonight.”

In an interview with CTV News, Mohan said Dalhousie could take more responsibility for the incident.

“I want to point out the specific ways HRM and council and police take responsibility and invite everyone to have a more nuanced conversation,” said Mohan.

Police say, at one point, a fire was set in the street using downed branches from post-tropical storm Fiona. Officers managed to put the fire out.

The crowd was dispersed after a "couple of hours," and while police did not say how many people were arrested, they say dozens of summary offence tickets were issued.

A Halifax Regional Municipality councillor who lives in the area says Dalhousie should take responsibility for its students.

Waye Mason says the school needs to be “more transparent about their code of conduct issues and what they're going to do to make sure that students are staying on campus to have a drink.”

“Part of what we understand is that students are not allowed to, or find it very difficult,” said Mason.

Police said Saturday's incident required them to call in extra backup as the size of the gathering grew.

In an email to CTV News, a spokesperson for Dalhousie University said it has warned students that attending street parties is unacceptable, but noted, “It’s a complex and growing problem across North American universities that pose a high-risk for alcohol-related and safety incidents on campuses and nearby neighbourhoods.”

Halifax Regional Police say more information will be released when it becomes available.