11-23-2018, 04:58 PM
(11-23-2018, 04:40 PM)danbrotherston Wrote: This is an overreaction from the police, it's not the students fault if everyone refuses to acknowledge the party and brings in Peel region riot police to try and enforce that non-existence.
I'm pissed too, but not at the students, for the adults who are hateful and angry in response to students existing.
I saw this as someone who lives through more than one downtown festival which I don't enjoy or participate in, but don't begrudge the existence of.
While many (most?) festivals are subsidized by the cities, I think there are some key differences. The biggest among those is that the festivals are planned, organized and supervised so as to conform to the laws and bylaws, and minimize the disruption to the neighbours. As the street parties are not really planned, none of that happens. As a result, the police presence is far bigger than at, say, the blues festival.
If it's 15,000 students participating and $500,000 in costs, that works out to about $33 per participant. I have no data on how that compares to other festivals, but it does seem fairly high.
But I really don't see this as (at least most) people being hateful and angry about students' existence. Their behaviour could be better in this case, though.
What's your solution, Dan? Skip the police presence altogether and let happen what will happen?