On the night of Saturday, September 16 to Sunday, September 17, the last Latin evening at the University Pub turned sour. A “fight between several people” broke out around 3:20 a.m. in the parking lot of the Desjardins pavilion, said David Poitras, spokesperson for the Quebec City Police Service (SPVQ).
During the altercation, a 25-year-old man assaulted a security guard. While the police were checking on him, two women, aged 20 and 23, interfered with police work, Poitras claims.
The latter resisted their arrest by kicking the agents while they were handcuffed.
When the situation calmed down, they were released and each received a ticket for obstruction. “The man who attacked the security guard was released without charges because the victim did not file a complaint,” explains David Poitras.
The University Pub is managed by the Confederation of Student Associations of Laval University (CADEUL). According to its president, James Boudreau, no weapons were used during the altercation.
“According to my team and the conversations we had with the University, it was an incident that occurred among a romantic circle, after closing time of the University Pub,” he said. The security guard involved was reportedly injured while attempting to intervene in the fight.
More Latin nights
“Observing the increase in incidents of violence, the University had to demand the suspension of Latin Night in Quebec on September 23, while the investigation into the violent events that occurred on the night of September 16 was completed,” says Simon La Tacteur, spokesperson. for Laval University.
After this suspension, the promoter chose to stop organizing Latin nights at the University Pub.
“The event promoter confirmed that he was going to look for another place to hold this type of event because he has had obstacles in his way too many times,” laments James Boudreau.
Laval University’s suspension perplexes the president, especially since the fight took place outside the pub.
“Apart from the fact that there would be a repetition of the violence, there are no other explanations from the management. This type of violence could occur at other student events,” believes the president of CADEUL.
Evenings conducive to violence?
“Since January 2023, the Latin Night in Quebec, organized by an external promoter, has given rise to numerous excesses involving violence and material damage,” says La Tacteur, spokesperson for Laval University.
Last summer, the University even demanded the suspension of Noche Latina due to episodes of violence. Activity had resumed with several adjustments.
“This pause was intended to allow the University Pub to make the necessary security adjustments to respect its commitment to putting an end to incidents of violence, an essential condition for the continuation of these evenings. »
— Simon the Terror
Its president, James Boudreau, admits that other incidents have occurred in the past. However, everything was going well since the adjustment of security measures this summer, he assures.
Incomprehension
Latin evenings were very popular and appreciated by the student community, according to James Boudreau. Its cancellation is a blow to the University Pub.
“There was a lot of traffic,” mentions the president of CADEUL. Since the pandemic, it’s been difficult to get people back into the habit of coming to the University Pub, so this was a welcome help. »
Based on their conversations with the participants, everyone felt safe inside the pub.
“Several students are confused. Our members find this a real shame because they appreciated this event. They discovered that they were evenings that allowed people to express themselves and have a good time. They are in the same misunderstanding as us. »
