Posted on 02/24/2002 12:24:59 AM PST by badfreeper
SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - Rubber bullets were fired as about 50 riot police struggled to control a rampaging crowd in central Salt Lake City, venue of the Winter Olympics, police said Sunday.
The crowd of young people had broken several shop windows, Reuters eye witnesses said, and started throwing rocks and bottles at the police.
They went on the rampage shortly after midnight when police tried to stop them drinking at a temporary bar set up for the Olympics. An area was cordoned off by police cars, the witnesses said.
Helicopters hovered overhead with searchlights on as a series of running battles took place.
The hotel housing the International Olympic Committee was cordoned off by troops carrying automatic weapons.
"There's 2,000 angry people heading this way," a police officer in the hotel said.
The center of the city has been flooded during the 17 days of the Games by crowds enjoying Olympic events, concerts and a party atmosphere.
Saturday night, the last before the Games closes, there was an edge to the atmosphere with groups of youngsters, many drunk, filling the sidewalks.
Normally there are strict regulations governing the sale of alcohol in Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah state.
Oh, those silly Reuters editors and byline writers. Everybody knows Salt Lake City and its associations with alcoholic beverages is more closely associated with Mormonism, than with its identity as a state capital.
I guess it wouldn't be politically correct to associate Mormons and cops firing ruber bullets into a crowd of inebriated international Olympians????
Probably not for you or me, but I've seen people get pretty nasty after being cut off, or having their drinks removed, at last call.
Where was A-10 Warthog when we needed them ? Its Gatling gun does wonders.
This is from an article in the Feb. 18 issue of Maclean's.
Things you can't do with booze:
Drink under the age of 21.
Purchase "heavy beer" (over 3.2 per cent alcohol) in restaurants after midnight, or from corner stores.
Expect your restaurant server to produce a wine list. You must request it.
Drink without eating. Except in taverns, or in "private clubs" where temporary guest memberships cost about US$5 for a two-week period.
Order doubles. Limit is one ounce of alcohol per mixed drink, although "secondary alcoholic flavorings" are allowed in exotic mixed drinks.
Have two drinks delivered at once to one individual. Server must set down one drink, then perform some other duty, such as shifting an ashtray, before setting down the other drink.
I can't comment on that, since I have no first hand knowledge of how the liquor laws in Utah are enforced. However, around here, they generally legislate exceptions to the last call laws, which are not all that restrictive to begin with. On occasions like New Year's Eve, the annual street festival, and other events, last call has been known to be extended to 3.
Extending hours for the Olympics seems to me to be a reasonable compromise that, if done properly, wouldn't inconvenience local residents much, but be positive for visitors wanting to party as well as the proprietors of local establishments.
Don't forget, in most of the world, LIGHT beer is 4%. But aside from that, the news story says that the police were trying to stop them from drinking. Anyone have any more information about serving times in Utah?
Sheesh!
Eye witnesses said the crowd started throwing rocks and bottles at the police. An area was quickly cordoned off by police cars and helicopters hovered overhead with searchlights on as a series of running skirmishes took place.
"The trouble started at 2350 because nobody else was going to be allowed into the Budweiser tent because it was closing at midnight," a youth calling himself G.A. said.
"Everybody was packed into the street and everybody started stealing each other's beer and throwing bottles. The police came and one of them was hit in the face by a bottle.
"The police started firing rubber bullets. Then the crowd got really wild and starting chanting "U S A" and hurling bottles at windows."
Brandon Bolan, 17, from Salt Lake City showed reporters an injury on his shin which he said was caused by a rubber bullet.
"None of us had been drinking, we were standing watching police and the cops told us to leave. I held my camera to take a picture and the police fired at the ground in front of me and the bullet hit me in the leg.
"We were just leaving and we only stopped to see what was happening."
Click here for full story.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.