Most people riot to protest something. Not in Boulder. Nope! They just riot because they're drunk....Ahhhh...how I miss those carefree days.....









Police on guard for more trouble on the Hill
By Brittany Anas and Aimee Heckel, Camera Staff Writers
October 31, 2004
http://www.dailycamera.co...26,00.html
Police arrested 18 people in connection with today’s early morning riot that ravaged University Hill and extra officers will be on standby tonight, bracing for more disturbances.

A Saturday night block party became unruly around midnight, police said, after more than 1,000 party-goers packed 10th Street between College and Pennsylvania avenues.

Swarms of rioters and 96 law enforcement officers faced off for three hours. Police then monitored the Hill until 3:15 a.m. Clocks fell back an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday morning for daylight-saving time.

Officers used tear gas and pepper spray to break up crowds, Boulder Police Cmdr. Kurt Weiler said. Pellets and stun devices also were used by police.

The city of Boulder issued a permit to Hill resident William Edward Prather allowing him to hold a block party from noon Saturday until 2 a.m. today. Prather is listed in the University of Colorado directory as a senior finance major. He could not be reached for comment.

Officers ticketed "several" students at the block party around 10 p.m. for underage drinking offenses, police spokeswoman Julie Brooks said. Many young people became angry with police for breaking up parties on the block, and swarms of partygoers, some dressed in Halloween costumes packed the streets, Brooks said.

Around 12:15 a.m. crowds packed the block and a group was rocking cars, bashing them with "No Parking" signs that were pulled from the ground, and set one car on fire. Police moved in around 12:30 a.m., using tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Boulder police officers were assisted by the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and Longmont SWAT teams, along with law enforcement officers from Louisville, Lafayette and the CU police departments.

There will be 32 officers patrolling the Hill tonight, Brooks said, and 15 SWAT officers are on call.

Four officers were injured during the riots, Brooks said. She could not comment specifically on their conditions, but said the injuries were not "serious."

Officials would not say today whether those arrested were CU students. The arrests made were on riot-related charges, which include inciting a riot, engaging in a riot, criminal mischief, obstruction and arson.

Brooks said authorities caught the event on video and will review it this week to try to identify more people suspected of rioting charges. Identifying rioters will likely be a complicated task because some people were costumed.

According to a Colorado law that took effect in June 2002, college students convicted of rioting offenses will be prohibited from attending any state-supported college or university for one year.

"We are extremely disturbed by the riotous behavior of students and others on the Hill area in the early morning of Oct. 31," Vice Chancellor Ron Stump said in a press release issued today. "Halloween celebrations are no excuse for endangering the health, safety and property of others."

Stump met with police officers, stationed at Ninth Street and College Avenue, before dawn.

City officials did not have a damage estimate available today. Trash and debris from the riots was cleaned up on the Hill by 10 a.m.

"We haven’t had an incident like this for nearly three years," Boulder Mayor Mark Ruzzin said today. "It’s unfortunate. We will be taking a look at what happened and what we can learn from it."

The riot was the first since December 2001 when crowds stormed the Hill area after the CU Buffaloes football team won the Big 12 Championship.

I do love Boulder Colorado and those students sure can drink. I went to a CU versus Nebraska football game and the students were drinking enough to make me think I was back in Wisconsin (where I went to school).

lovemachine said:

Oh, the CU v. Nebraska games are ALWAYS good! I haven't been to one in years (I graduated in 2001) but I need to get back for the next one in Boulder! I missed the one where we won 62-36 against them! Woo hoo!