Posted on 06/20/2007 11:04:00 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
The city's Juneteenth festivities were marred by violence Tuesday, after a man was pulled from his car and beaten and a police officer injured while trying to break up a large-scale fight after the festival let out.
It was the second year in a row that police in riot gear were used to disperse the crowds.
While the event was largely peaceful and calm during the day, spurts of chaos ensued as police in riot gear attempted to disperse large groups of rowdy festival goers who ignored orders to leave, said Anne E. Schwartz, Milwaukee Police Department spokeswoman.
"During the day crowd was very well behaved and everything was fine throughout the afternoon. Unfortunately at closing time everything came unhinged and there were some problems," Schwartz said.
After the festival winded down around 6 p.m. a large group of festival goers leaving the area attacked at least two cars, one of which drivers was pulled from his vehicle and beaten near N. 1st and W. Burleigh, Schwartz said.
Footage captured by WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) showed a large group of people who surrounded and jumped on a car stuck in traffic and smashed out its windows. That car's driver escaped unharmed, the station reported.
Next the crowd targeted another vehicle, smashing in the hood and trunk and shattering its windshield, the station reported.
The driver got out and was attacked, being thrown to the ground and kicked in the head, Schwartz said.
Around the same time a large fight started in the area between groups of girls and then grew larger as more people got involved, she added.
Police in riot gear attempted to disperse the crowd who resisted, Schwartz said.
An officer wearing a face shield who tried to break up the fight was hit by one of the girls in the face. The shield shattered and the officer was cut by the shards, requiring stitches, Schwartz said.
Police in riot gear were called in at the end of last year's Juneteenth festival to break up a disturbance involving a group of people who tore down a tent and used its poles to beat each other.
And in 2002 a group of people at the festival - which commemorates the day in 1865 when word of freedom made it to slaves in Texas - began throwing sticks and bottles at uniformed officers.
Schwartz said it is unfortunate that the festival's reputation was again damaged by the acts of certain individuals.
"It seems that the trouble happens when we get the large groups leaving at closing time and ruining the festival for everyone," Schwartz said.
Nahhh, it’s Wisconsin. Probably a Wauwatosan WELS Lutheran of swedish extraction.
C’mon!
“winded” is not a word in the English language. Wound down, maybe...not winded down.
Journalists, what DON’T they know...
Juneteenth = gangsta gatherin
Yikes.
40 oz. meets .40 cal.
The Texas victim’s name was Morales. I don’t know what kind of a crowd these Juneteenth celebrations draw, but I bet that they are all Democrats.
So, maybe we could make a headline, “Democrats attack man at Juneteenth celebration.
LOL!
So a journalism major in college no longer has to pass grammar classes?
A minority-oriented concert or festival turns into a riot at closing time? I'm shocked, shocked...
See my post #22, too.
Incredible.
Unreal... I’m actually at a loss for what to say.
Thanks FReepers!
I can remember when June 19th was a really big day for Blacks to celebrate---and they put on some very colorful celebrations around east Texas, where I grew up. Years later, Blacks could take the day as an official holiday from work.
“winded” is not a word in the English language
sure it is.....it describes being out of breath following exertion.
Buffalo’s Juneteenth was so peaceful this year that the local media saw fit to comment on it.
Correction—I stated that wrong—What I have not heard of is any celebration that was a purely Black celebration, as it used to be. IOW, I don’t think calling this a “Juneteenth Celebration” makes it a Juneteenth celebration. Looks like it has turned into just another excuse for bad behavior for people of other races.
The brothers is rioting again?
Incorrect. That should be, "After the festival be winded down..."
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