YouTuber event draws hundreds of people, police to Kitchener park
Waterloo regional police say officers were swarmed and had to call for backup while trying to disperse a crowd of more than 300 people at Kitchener's Tremaine Park on Sunday.
The group was gathered to watch a basketball game hosted by K Showtime, a Toronto-based YouTuber with nearly 250,000 subscribers.
Area residents who spoke to CTV said they were shocked to see so many teens at the park.
“We saw cars everywhere,” said Silvana Galizia, who lives nearby. “We thought it was maybe a party, but then we noticed the crowd at the park.”
Galizia said it started around 6 p.m. and about 15 minutes later officers arrived.
“We were watching from the porch, and then all of a sudden people started running, and there were fights and the police showed up,” Galizia said.
Residents estimated seeing teenagers as young as 15-years-old at the gathering.
“I couldn’t believe it. There was like six to seven people deep right around the whole court, people coming and going,” said Rob Klein, a resident of the area.
Police said officers were called to Tremaine Park around 6:15 p.m. for reports of a large gathering.
According to police, many vehicles were parked along the roadway and blocking driveways.
“Several fights had broken out at that point and time, and officers moved in to arrest one particular individual,” public information officer Cst. Andre Johnson said.
That's when police said officers were swarmed by the crowd and had to call for backup to disperse the gathering.
Police said the man arrested has since been released, and no charges have been laid.
In a statement provided by K Showtime’s management, he said: “During my park takeover in Kitchener yesterday, there was a fight that broke out between some people in the crowd that were involved in their own incident. This had nothing to do with our basketball game. Don’t come to the park takeovers if you’re trying to fight other people, I have a lot of kids coming out to support and it is a place to inspire kids, to build a community, and enjoy competitive basketball. Hope everyone is safe.”
His management added: “K Showtime has played many games this summer in other cities without reports of violence, and that this was an isolated incident with those in the crowd.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.