St. Patrick’s Day festivity takes ugly turn in Canadian city

LONDON, Ontario: Police have arrested 11 people after St. Patrick's Day celebrations took an ugly turn in London, Ont., and are urging others involved in the riot to "do the right thing" and step forward.

Seven of those arrested after parties spilled into the street and became violent have been identified as students of the city's Fanshawe College, London police Chief Brad Duncan said Sunday. He said they face charges including unlawful assembly, assaulting police and resisting arrest.

After personally reviewing many video clips showing vandalism and violence that left several people injured, Duncan called the incident a "dynamic, dangerous and highly charged situation" that continued into early Sunday.

"There were a number of individuals burned last night. The severity of this mob mentality could easily have resulted in death," Duncan said, vowing investigators will track down more of those involved.

Firefighters were the first emergency responders, arriving to deal with a reported brush fire on Fleming Drive, just east of the college, at 10 p.m. Saturday, Duncan told reporters. However, they had to call for police backup after they came under attack by flying bottles and bricks.