Police in Waterloo say that they arrested 19 people and laid nearly 150 charges during a large unsanctioned St Patrick’s Day party in the city’s university district last week.

The party took place on Marshall Street on March 17 and was attended by an estimated 1,000 people, according to CTV Kitchener.

In a news release issued on Monday, police said that they responded to 328 calls for service in the area between 8 a.m. on March 17 and 6 a.m. on March 18.

They say that a combined total of 147 charges were laid as a result, including 19 criminal code offences.

The criminal code offences included assault, assault with a weapon, assaulting a peace officer, forcible entry, impaired operation and mischief.

Police also say that they received an additional 224 calls for service over the course of the weekend, resulting in three more arrests and another 46 charges.

“Large gatherings pose both a health and safety risk to those in attendance and to the entire community,” Waterloo Police Chief Bryan Larkin said in the release. “We are disappointed that, despite encouraging individuals to celebrate responsibly in smaller gatherings or licenced establishments, many opted to gather on the street, forcing road closures. As we move forward, we will continue to work together with our community partners to find alternatives to this unlawful gathering.”

Police in Waterloo had preventively blocked off Ezra Avenue last week, which had been the site of other large unsanctioned St. Patrick’s Day gatherings in previous years.

They also asked those planning to celebrate to “do so in smaller gatherings, at licenced establishments, or at home.”

The crowds, however, began to gather along nearby Marshall Street early in the day and by later in the afternoon hundreds of people could be seen partying in the street. 

Police say that more than half of the charges laid on Thursday (90) were for violations of the Liquor Licence and Control Act. Another 29 were for Highway Traffic Act violations. 

With files from CTV News Kitchener.