Thousands of McMaster students fill Westdale streets with 'fake homecoming' party

Despite a new bylaw promising harsher penalties and what Hamilton police described as the threat of "a significant police presence," thousands of McMaster University students filled Hamiltonstreets to celebrate what they called a "fake homecoming."

Even though manystudents returned the next day to help clean up, some people living in the neighbourhood were not happy to see the students out again in large numbers.

Helli Stephenson said she was stuck in her Dalewood Avenue house while the party was going on.

"I understand students like to have fun and homecoming and all that but to take it to the streets, and to the point where it disrupts people that are actually living in the neighbourhood. I don't think it's fair to us," she said.

"I totally blame the university for all of this. I raised my children in this neighbourhood. I've lived here for a long, long time."

Stephensonsaid the university should be hosting these events and spare the community. She wondershow many of her tax dollars are going towardCCTVcameras andcleaning streets up.

Stephenson said thatover the years, the parties have "gotten out of hand."

She said the scene Friday night had "students just all over the place. Drinking, littering, even though there were garbage cans provided ."

"They're just sitting there, walking around, trying to have fun and all that, but they really need to step outside and look at themselves and see what their behaviour is like."

Police 'just stood there and watched'

Stephenson said this year's party was much calmer than the one in 2021, whenwhich some 5,000 students gathered and resulted in at least 13arrests.

However, Hamilton police could have done a better job dispersing crowds, she added.

"Between 2 and 3 [p.m.], it started getting more intense.[Police] just pretty much gathered in one area and just stood there and watched."

This year's "fake homecoming" saw heavy police presence in the area, following a nuisance party bylaw, which allows police and bylaw officials to hand out harsher penalties.

"It certainly didn't appear that it was working or anybody was getting any kind of tickets. So, whatever they were trying to do, it did not work."

Hamilton police saidthey are still working with the city on gathering numbers from Saturday's parties.

McMaster students took back the streets to clean

Dozens of students were seen in the McMaster area Sunday morning, cleaning the streets where the parties took place.

Among them was Caitlin Hawkes, who was with at least 40 students from the McMaster StudentsUnion's Maroons.

Hawkes is also a resident of the neighbourhood and attended the party for a short time on Saturday.

"[The area] was just filled with people. And then there was like, some guy or a DJ thing in a shopping cart."

Her roommate, Emma Smith, also said the party was calmer in comparison to last year's event,which she could hear from her home.

"You could still hear there's people there and talking, but last year, you could hear loud thumps and loud screaming and, yeah, this year wasn't so bad."

Another McMaster student, Ellen Lima, said the party was "packed" but calm.

"The cops mostly tapered off a lot of the houses so people wouldn't be allowed to break in or anything. But for the most part, I say people were really respectful of the cops and didn't really cause any trouble."

Lima said that at night, however, "it got a little more violent and crowded, especially around Main Street because people moved the party to the streets and things are getting a little bit rowdy and cops weren't very happy with that."

Not all students were eagerto join the party.Darius Caimac is a third-year McMaster student. He attended last year's party.He said he thought the $10,000 fine was "really scary and really high" and wondered if a McMaster-sanctioned event would have helped curb unofficial festivities.

"The only way to control such an event is having the school host one where student IDs are scanned and only McMaster students can attend."

Simranjeet Singh, president of the McMaster StudentsUnion, said, "The MSU co-ordinated efforts with McMaster University to help spread awareness of the new Nuisance Party bylaw put in place by the City of Hamilton....We felt the influence of this information campaign directly resulted in reduced disruptions and greater knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of students within Hamilton.

"I am hopeful that in the future, there canbe greater dialogue between the City, University, and students to ensure creation of fair and appropriate legislation which aims to protect (and is fairly applied to) all community members."

'The events of last night are not Homecoming'

In a news release on Sunday, the university thanked the city and police for "their comprehensive approach to managing unsanctioned street parties near campus."

"It's important to clarify that the events of last night are not Homecoming. McMaster has not hosted Homecoming events since 2019," McMaster's media relations manager, Wade Hemsworth, said Sunday.

He said the university has been running a "wide-ranging communication campaign" since the summer discouraging students from attending the parties.

"The parties are not sanctioned by the university and are organized by anonymous people online."

Hemsworth added that in previous years, the university has held events on campus "such as concerts but not many students chose to attend."