'Reckless and destructive': Ontario university responds to gathering of nearly 5,000 people
A large gathering of people attending an event dubbed ‘fake homecoming,’ or ‘FOCO’ near McMaster University over the weekend has drawn criticism after police say they caused significant property damage and flipped a car.
McMaster president David Farrar says that “several thousand” people attended the event in the Ainslie Woods area of Hamilton and that “disruption [and] disrespect of property” occurred.
Hamilton Police Service (HPS) were called to attend the event just after 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 2. According to police, by 2 p.m., the crowd had grown to over 5,000 attendees.
Over the course of the day, police arrested and charged two individuals for Liquor Licence Act Offences, as well as five individuals for Breach of the Peace/Cause Disturbance.
Police are appealing for assistance in identifying those responsible for damaging and flipping over a white Mazda.
They say they have identified one potential suspect, describing him as a white male with brown hair, wearing a blue baseball cap, burgundy and yellow rugby shirt and khaki shorts.
Handout provided by Hamilton Regional Police
Police added that “glass bottles, cans and other objects were thrown at officers and one police vehicle was damaged as a result.”
“There were no serious reported injuries, but several individuals were treated for injuries consistent with falling and other blunt forces as well as excessive alcohol consumption,” HPS says.
Farrar underlined that McMaster chose not to hold any official homecoming events this year and that “the vast majority of our students chose not to be part of the gathering.”
“Those who did, and especially those who chose to be reckless and destructive, put themselves and others at risk,” he said in a statement from the institution.
Hamilton City Councillor for Ward 1, Maureen Wilson, took to social media to address the gatherings.
“This is unacceptable [and] dangerous. Someone is going to get killed,” wrote Wilson on Twitter Saturday evening.
“[It’s] Past time for [McMaster University] to own this annual community debacle. Let's send them the bill for all policing, paramedic and clean-up costs. Mac President — get your house in order and stop trashing ours.”
Farrar has offered an apology on behalf of McMaster students.
“On their behalf, I apologize for this behaviour, particularly by those who caused damage and put anyone at risk. Such actions are completely unacceptable.”
He says that McMaster will cooperate in full with Hamilton police's investigation and that the school will "will use the Student Code of Conduct to sanction students who violated the Code’s tenets of behaviour."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.