Fleming facts: Rumour vs reality

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There's no doubt in my mind that even if you are coming to Fanshawe for the first time, you have heard of the Fleming Drive riot. It was a St. Patrick's Day to be remembered, and not for the better. With hundreds of drunk teenagers, mob-like behaviour, and furniture lit on fire, it didn't take long for this street party to spin out of control.

Special Const. Brent Arsenault with Campus Security said he was shocked by what happened. “There (were) people that were traumatized by the incident. It's appalling for me as being a graduate of Fanshawe College, too; I just have to take a step back and say, ‘What happened?'”

Arsenault wasn't the only one left wondering.

The Fleming Riot became the target of international scrutiny and immediately exploded on social media websites. The Fleming riot was very commonly referred to as the “Fanshawe College riot,” casting a dark shadow on a college that was not directly to blame for the incident — the problem was the proximity of the event to the college. Fleming Drive, directly across the street from Fanshawe, is heavily populated by college students and has a reputation for occasional out-of-control parties.

What many people who were criticizing Fanshawe didn't think about is how many partiers were not Fanshawe students. The London Police investigation closed in June with 175 charges laid. Of the 68 individuals who were charged, only 26 were Fanshawe students — less than 40 per cent.

In many ways, the riot brought the Fanshawe community together. Many students came forward with tips and information to help police with the investigation. Arsenault clarified, “It's the behaviour of a few,” and unfortunately, “It tarnishes everyone, and that's not what we represent at Fanshawe.”

So, let's get down to the facts: what actually happened?

At the peak of the riot, there were upwards of 1,000 individuals and approximately 65 police officers present. The London Police called this “the largest act of civil disobedience London had ever seen.”

The time of the incident played a huge role in the riot's outcome. The first unruly behaviour started around 10:30 p.m., which, on a day filled with drinking, can be a pretty wild time. London firefighters arrived on scene first for a brush fire, and they quickly called the police for backup. Initially, the police failed to control the mob. Seventeen police cars were damaged, and at around 11:30 p.m., the police retreated with their vehicles and regrouped. It wasn't until 4 a.m. that the police were able to get the situation under control.

Const. Dennis Rivest, who is the media relations officer with the London Police, said there are several factors to consider when looking into an incident of this calibre: “It doesn't take long on a nice day ... you add in alcohol and then you get some boisterous behaviour that may have started out as fun and then just got way out of hand ... and when it gets too rowdy, it turns into a kind of gang mentality so when one person does something off-the-wall, others kind of join in, laugh about it and think it's okay. The next thing you know, we have vehicles on fire and beer bottles being thrown.”

No one was taking responsibility for what was going on, instead literally adding fuel to the fire. After a couch and bush were lit on fire, several other partiers decided to get involved. Among the items thrown into the fire were bottles of alcohol, a TV, a mattress and pieces of wooden fence. When a CTV News truck arrived on scene, it became even more of a nightmare, as the truck was tipped over and lit on fire, resulting in an explosion.

In the end, not only was the riot damaging to Fanshawe's reputation and to several spectators, but it also cost the City of London approximately $500,000 in property damage and investigation costs. Most of that money comes out of taxpayer dollars — something most rioters probably weren't thinking about at the time.

What many others didn't realize is that getting involved in an incident such as this can result in a criminal charge and ultimately a criminal record. A criminal record can be detrimental, starting with the difficulty in securing employment and the inability to leave the country. Even though you may be seriously intoxicated, you will be held responsible for your actions.

When hosting a party on your property, you have to realize that whoever is on your property is your responsibility. “You may be hosting a party of five or six that can turn into 500 or 600 in the blink of an eye,” Rivest said. “That's just how fast things can blow up on you, and so you need to be responsible for your property and your gatherings.”