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Rubber Bullets Fired in Salt Lake City Center
Rueters ^ | February 24, 2002 3:57 am EST | staff

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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: olympicslist; utah
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1 posted on 02/24/2002 12:24:59 AM PST by badfreeper (badfreeper@hotmail.com)
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Comment #2 Removed by Moderator

To: seamole
My goodness...you are quick, aren't you!
3 posted on 02/24/2002 12:31:30 AM PST by badfreeper
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: Lazarus Long
Seems to me there was no problem until the taps stopped. Who ever heard of last call at midnight on a Saturday night?
5 posted on 02/24/2002 12:36:27 AM PST by badfreeper
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To: Lazarus Long
How strict is strict? What do they do? Restrict sale of alcohol to only those over 30 years of age? Do they require a "special" ID card like what is now required for handgun purchases?
6 posted on 02/24/2002 12:37:57 AM PST by mamelukesabre
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To: badfreeper
"...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????

7 posted on 02/24/2002 12:39:11 AM PST by Cvengr
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Comment #9 Removed by Moderator

To: Yehuda
"Regardless, "last call is too early" is a reason to riot?"

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.

10 posted on 02/24/2002 12:43:01 AM PST by badfreeper
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To: badfreeper
Yikes ....
11 posted on 02/24/2002 12:43:39 AM PST by Centurion2000
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To: badfreeper
Re #1

Where was A-10 Warthog when we needed them ? Its Gatling gun does wonders.

12 posted on 02/24/2002 12:44:29 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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To: mamelukesabre
"How strict is strict?"

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.

13 posted on 02/24/2002 12:50:45 AM PST by badfreeper
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To: Lazarus Long
"The people over there have dealt with the crazy laws for 2 weeks now, so I can't imagine that the cutting off of the taps on this particular night surprised them too much.

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.

14 posted on 02/24/2002 1:05:10 AM PST by badfreeper
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To: badfreeper
That doesn't sound so bad. So they limit you to three-two beer after midnight? Big deal! It still tastes the same, doesn't it? The rest of the regs look pretty meaningless to me.
15 posted on 02/24/2002 1:07:11 AM PST by mamelukesabre
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: mamelukesabre
"So they limit you to three-two beer after midnight? Big deal!"

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?

17 posted on 02/24/2002 1:14:24 AM PST by badfreeper
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To: badfreeper
The evils of alcohol! The Devil's drink! It leads to violence, decadence, inequity, perversions. All sorts of terrible things! Evil! Evil! Evil!!!

Sheesh!

18 posted on 02/24/2002 1:22:24 AM PST by Thumper1960
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To: badfreeper
Update from Reuters:

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.

19 posted on 02/24/2002 1:25:04 AM PST by badfreeper
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To: badfreeper
Are you trying to tell me it is possible to taste the difference between a 4% and a 3.2% beer? I dont' think so! And besides, it's only after midnight that you have to switch from 4% to 3.2% for chrissakes. By then, there's no way in he** your gonna tell the difference.

Maybe it's just because I'm from a state that closes the bars at 1:00, so switching to three-two beer for the last hour doesn't really make much of a difference to me.
20 posted on 02/24/2002 1:28:05 AM PST by mamelukesabre
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