Western students close London streets with massive 'fake homecoming' party

A notorious party that started Saturday morning on a small street outside the Western University gates in London, Ont., has seen more than a dozen students hospitalized, multiple arrestsand a main artery in the city shut down.

London police estimate more than 20,000 revellers streamed onto Broughdale Avenue over the course of the day to carouse at the now infamous Fake Homecomingor FOCO.

Police were forced to close Richmond Street, betweenEpworth Avenue and Huron Street, with crowds coming from all directions through a usually quiet residential neighbourhood.

"I'm here to have a good time! Just to let loose," said one partygoer, who travelled more than three hours from Lindsay, Ont., to be at the party.

Multiple people said they came from outside of Londonto the illegal street party that appears to havegrown in size and notoriety. The primary colour however, in the sea of people, was still purple forWestern.

By mid-day, paramedics said they had transported twelvepeople to hospital withmore than 36 others treated on-site. At one point, the street was so packed ambulance drivers could not get through.

London police have been preparing for FOCO for weeks now, with a temporary command centre set up on Broughdale, and coloured placards on telephone poles to help coordinate emergency response.

Police could not say how many people had been arrested but CBC News saw several students being taken away in handcuffs.

At least one student hadbeen fined for being on a roof, with police promising to issue fines of more than $1,000 to students hosting crowded house parties.

"Broughdale has clearly become a destination. I am extremely disappointed," said city councillor Phil Squire who has workedalongside the university, city officials and emergency crews this year to try to mitigate the street party.

An iron fence was even installed blocking Broughdale Avenue from a wooded trail that connects to Western's campus.

Last year, FOCO cost the city approximately $100,000 in policing services alone.

By late afternoon, students could be seen lying on lawns and falling down in the streets. Public urination was an issue well beyond BroughdaleAvenue with police saying they issued multiple tickets.

• 'Hostile' fence now divides Western University from its hard-partying neighbours

In an effort to keep students from showing up at the illegal street party, Purplefest was organized on campus with rapperA$AP Rocky booked as the headliner.

But Friday night, the rapper tweeted that he wouldn't be comingdue to visa issues "following my Sweden incident." A$AP Rocky wascharged with assault earlier this yearafter an incident in Stockholm.

• Headliner A$AP Rocky is a no-show for today's Purple Fest at Western University