Sunday, October 19, 2014

Surprisingly, Not from The Onion

Several people were injured and at least a dozen were arrested as young people gathered for the Keene Pumpkin Festival near Keene State College [Keene, New Hampshire] clashed with police in riot gear.

About 30 people were injured as hundreds of students threw beer cans and bottles at police and ripped up street signs, fire officials said. Police used pellets and pepper spray to try and disperse the crowds.

[...]

“Despite the concerted efforts of organizers, city officials, police, and Keene State College, there continued to be disruptive behavior at parties in multiple locations around the city, injuries, and property damage.”

[...]

The unrest continued into the night, as students overturned cars and photos on social media showed fires on the street near the campus.

  CBS Boston
I don't see any comment on what the rioting was about. Are there just crazy kids in New Hampshire?Did someone unleash a test chemical?
Keene State student Ellery Murray told The Boston Globe she was at a party that had drawn a large crowd when people started throwing things. She said police responded in riot gear and used tear gas to break up the crowd.

"People were just throwing everything they could find — rocks, skateboards, buckets, pumpkins," she said. "People just got too drunk."

  Star Tribune
People get too drunk at lots of events, but they don’t riot. Well, except at sports events.
College President Anne Huot said in an emailed statement that the festival has been promoted by others "as a destination for destructive and raucous behavior" and the college had tried on the front end, in working with the city and campus, to prevent this from happening.

"We deplore the actions of those whose only purpose was to cause mayhem," she said, adding that the students involved will be held accountable.

  Lowell Sun
Who are these “others” and why do they want to cause mayhem at Keene? What did the college do to try to prevent it?  We need more information.

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