REVELLERS STARTED a large street fire and battled with police and fire crews who tried to intervene after St Patrick’s Day celebrations got out of hand in a town in Canada.
Police in London, Ontario, said at least 11 people have been arrested so far, and more arrests were expected as authorities review videos and statements. At least 17 police vehicles were damaged. No serious injuries were reported.
The trouble began when a crowd of about 1,000 people celebrated in the streets near Fanshawe College heavily populated by students which has been the site of previous smaller disturbances.
District fire chief Jim Holmes said fire crews were called to the scene after revellers flipped over a TV news van and set it on fire.
The vehicle exploded and partygoers fed the street fire with furniture, mattresses, fences, uprooted trees, a large TV set, and even a 20-pound propane tank.
Authorities said the crowd kept throwing bricks and beer bottles at police officers and refused to allow fire crews to douse the blaze.
Police and fire crews stood back to avoid escalating the situation, before moving in at around 4am. when the crowd had thinned out.
“Never in my 32 years as a police officer have I observed behaviours that escalated to the point where there was risk that individuals could seriously be hurt or quite frankly killed,” local chief of police Brad Duncan said. – (AP)
Further reports on St Patrick's Day events from around the world, including New York, Sydney, Shanghai,Berlin, Brussels and Moscow from Irish Times journalists can be read at iti.ms/zQfVsU182023