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The mayhem gave some residents on the street flashbacks to the St. Patrick’s Day riots in 2012, when revellers torched a news truck, set fire to fences and threw objects at police trying to quell the chaos.

Blamed in part on unseasonably warm weather and the Irish-themed celebration falling on a Saturday, the incident gave London an international black eye and resulted in dozens of people criminally charged.

One longtime Thurman Circle resident warned that the rowdy behaviour on student-populated streets around Fanshawe has been escalating after years of calm following the riot.

“It’s starting again,” said the man, who asked not to be identified, urging city officials and police to take aggressive action to curb the debauchery.

“I respect them, but they don’t respect us,” he said of the students.

The resident, one of the few non-students living on the street, said trouble started brewing Sunday around 10:30 p.m. at a nearby house party, where guests had set up sofas and tables on the front lawn.

“It is extremely discouraging that a small group of students have decided to begin the school year by putting our officers and the community at risk to this degree,” Supt. Chris Newton said in a statement. “Our community deserves greater respect.”

Second-year Fanshawe student Daniel Lloyd said he came outside his house late Sunday night and saw around 10 police cruisers and a sea of people.

“I haven’t seen so many faces before, not even in school,” he said.

Lloyd, who said he’d heard stories from friends about the infamous 2012 riot, predicted more rowdy parties will happen on the street.

“It’s going to be pretty crazy on the weekends,” he said.

Police issued tickets to four Thurman Circle residents for violating the city’s nuisance bylaw, an offence that can carry a fine of up to $10,000.

Police say the investigation is ongoing and appealed to anyone with information about the incident to contact them.

dcarruthers@postmedia.com

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