Quebec City police issue several tickets, arrest 2 teens after large gatherings

Quebec City police (SPVQ) say they issued more than 15 tickets and arrested at least two teenagers last weekend after gatherings of hundreds of youth in the city's Patro Charlesbourg district got out of hand.

Police say they received several complaints about youths consuming alcohol and drugs, launching fireworks, and getting into fights last Friday and Saturday nights.

In the first intervention, in the city's Patro Charlesbourg district, police had to deploy pepper spray to disperse the crowd. After arresting the first person at around 8:45 p.m., police had to call for backup because the crowd was "hostile," police said in a news release.

According to police, a 15-year-old male confronted police officers by blocking their cruiser with a moped. He was arrested for obstructing police and was released to his parents later. Dozens of interventions were carried out.

A video obtained by Noovo Info shows the cruiser slowly drive into the moped before the driver gets off and confronts the driver's side of the police vehicle. He is then apprehended and taken to the ground by three officers as the crowd shouts and records the incident on their cellphones.

Another crowd returned Saturday evening in the Courville sector in Beauport and police started getting complaints at 8 p.m. from residents about drinking and drug use.

Some of the youth fled and police had to intercept them on local buses, the SPVQ said. A local golf course was also damaged by a vehicle.

According to another news release, a 14-year-old boy was arrested for assaulting a police officer the previous evening and was released to his parents.

"The SPVQ invites parents to discuss their behaviour in parks and public spaces with their young people to ensure that these places are peaceful and safe for the 2024 summer season," police said.

"In anticipation of the upcoming long weekend as part of National Patriots' Day, the SPVQ will deploy the necessary resources and personnel to contain the situation and a minimum tolerance will be exercised."

With files from Noovo Info