A university long-considered one of the most prestigious in Canada is struggling to restore its vaunted reputation, after a Homecoming Party devolved into a violent brawl with police.

Between 5,000 and 7,000 people attending a Homecoming event at Queen's University Saturday, spilled onto Aberdeen Street in Kingston, Ontario.

The outdoor party, however, soon spun out of control.

By the time it was over, a car had been flipped and set on fire, an ambulance blocked and police pelted with bottles and other flying debris.

Mike Rakowski was in the thick of the action, jumping at one point, on top of the overturned car.

"I'm kind of second-guessing it now," the 19-year-old Queen's student told CTV News on Monday, blaming his misbehaviour that night on drunkenness.

Reflecting on the evening's events, Kingston Police Chief Bill Closs said he was gravely disappointed in what was essentially a "drunken mob of a party."

"This particular homecoming at Queen's was disgraceful," he told CTV News.

In total, 19 people were injured, 200 liquor violations handed out and 42 people arrested on charges ranging from arson to assaulting a police officer.

Closs said his officers were overwhelmed by the unruly mob.

"When you have 5,000 drunks and you have 100 police officers -- you're outnumbered 50 to 1 -- there's not a great deal that we can do."

But Queen's student Virginia Bird blames police for the way events transpired.

"The reason why it escalated to that point was that police tried to suppress it so much and students just retaliated," she said.

Queen's University officials say they are now investigating precisely which students were involved. Pending the outcome of that review, Queen's officials say the school's tradition of homecoming celebrations may be cancelled next year.

But with the clean up underway, students told CTV that -- official Homecoming or not -- the Aberdeen Street Party will likely return in 2006.

Chief Closs had a warning of his own, however. If the event goes ahead next year as it did this past weekend, his officers will have to be prepared with a more forceful response.

"We have to think of the riot squad, we have to think of tear gas, pepper spray and tasers."

Prepared with a report from CTV News Ottawa