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.
Beer drinkers? ;)
Yep. There’s video from WTMJ at the source link. Pretty brutal. *CRINGE*
“Beer drinkers? ;)”
I’m thinking more like malt liquor drinkers.
Oh yeah...the celebration was flawless. What a bunch of clowns.
Stick to your incredibly corrupt elections, Wisconsin...you’re better at that. Damned state is more like a third-world country every day.
I was surprised the commentary wasnt more like our MAY DAY BRUTAL POLICE USE OF FORCE like we had in Los Angeles.
ha.
Time to withdraw!
“It was the second year in a row that police in riot gear were used to disperse the crowds”
Sounds like a “Democrat” party...so to speak.
When does the looting begin...?
They’re getting anxious for the political season to ramp up; nobody’s been in the “hood” bribing people to vote for Democrats with an offer of drugs and cigarettes lately.
But the crowd is preparing for the next vote by keeping their car-smashing technique honed to a fine edge.
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