Niall
6th March 2006, 08:49
ok this link has the police version
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_3570768
and my friends account who was at it
Thankfully, and only by luck, my friends and I are all safe and at home today. I inhaled a lot of tear gas, was maced by riot police, had the tires slashed on my truck that was in the venue parking lot, which I had to pay to get out of impound after the incident.
The riot did begin with a knife fight, this is true. What is not stated is why it became such an out of control riot that destoyed 2 buildings and damaged countless others.
The fighting began outside. Instead of the police shutting the venue doors to keep the unsuspecting concert goers inside safe, the tear gas quickly came inside.
As 1500 people were all forced out of 4 small doors running from the painfull stings and blinding tear gas, very young children were being crushed and trampled by the crowds.
Then as my friends and I finally tore ourselves away from the venue, coughing and eyes watering, we were greeted by riot police with rubber bullets, pepper spray and clubs, that were used on anyone coming within 20 feet of them. I'd say 90% of the audience was under 21, and young children were being batoned on the head. I'm just to old for this drama. Really. This violence was so rediculous from the "law enforcement" because the mass confusion and anger was boiling over. We were told to return to our vehicles by the helicopters flying overhead, our only clue as what to do at all. But when I tried to enter the lot, I was maced by the police and everyone was forced to spread down the street without their cars or any way home. (It starts to go into this and the end of the article.)
The city was also on lock down until about 2am. We felt like hostages in our hotel that because could not leave. I had no idea if my truck even exsisted until the next morning. At one point in the night we opened the hotel door only to be greeted by a line of 10 or so police outfitted in full riot gear with what I hope were only rubber bullet guns advancing on our hotel with lights flashing and blowhorns blaring. No one in the hotel was rowdy or loud I assure you. Why they threated everyone in the hotel I will never understand.
Riot for rioting sake, possibly. But being there in the mass confusion and anger as lost kids were forced farther and farther down the street, gives me a different perception. Fear of the police led to fear of the people they should have been helping. That is my opinion.
The light side is, that through a riot, we ordered a pizza. The pizza man showed up at the same time riot police were taking step by step closer to our room. The pizza man ringing the phone while he told us no way, in our dark and hushed room was enough to make your heart stop.
But sure enough come rain, sleet, snow, or punk riot the pizza man did show up an hour later. Through the back way. With our hot pizza.
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_3570768
and my friends account who was at it
Thankfully, and only by luck, my friends and I are all safe and at home today. I inhaled a lot of tear gas, was maced by riot police, had the tires slashed on my truck that was in the venue parking lot, which I had to pay to get out of impound after the incident.
The riot did begin with a knife fight, this is true. What is not stated is why it became such an out of control riot that destoyed 2 buildings and damaged countless others.
The fighting began outside. Instead of the police shutting the venue doors to keep the unsuspecting concert goers inside safe, the tear gas quickly came inside.
As 1500 people were all forced out of 4 small doors running from the painfull stings and blinding tear gas, very young children were being crushed and trampled by the crowds.
Then as my friends and I finally tore ourselves away from the venue, coughing and eyes watering, we were greeted by riot police with rubber bullets, pepper spray and clubs, that were used on anyone coming within 20 feet of them. I'd say 90% of the audience was under 21, and young children were being batoned on the head. I'm just to old for this drama. Really. This violence was so rediculous from the "law enforcement" because the mass confusion and anger was boiling over. We were told to return to our vehicles by the helicopters flying overhead, our only clue as what to do at all. But when I tried to enter the lot, I was maced by the police and everyone was forced to spread down the street without their cars or any way home. (It starts to go into this and the end of the article.)
The city was also on lock down until about 2am. We felt like hostages in our hotel that because could not leave. I had no idea if my truck even exsisted until the next morning. At one point in the night we opened the hotel door only to be greeted by a line of 10 or so police outfitted in full riot gear with what I hope were only rubber bullet guns advancing on our hotel with lights flashing and blowhorns blaring. No one in the hotel was rowdy or loud I assure you. Why they threated everyone in the hotel I will never understand.
Riot for rioting sake, possibly. But being there in the mass confusion and anger as lost kids were forced farther and farther down the street, gives me a different perception. Fear of the police led to fear of the people they should have been helping. That is my opinion.
The light side is, that through a riot, we ordered a pizza. The pizza man showed up at the same time riot police were taking step by step closer to our room. The pizza man ringing the phone while he told us no way, in our dark and hushed room was enough to make your heart stop.
But sure enough come rain, sleet, snow, or punk riot the pizza man did show up an hour later. Through the back way. With our hot pizza.