11/3/02

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police used tear gas and pepper spray early Sunday to break up a crowd of 65,000 people, including some who were looting, throwing bottles, pulling out street signs and smashing windows.

Police arrested at least six people on tentative charges that included battery and looting, said Sgt. Patrick Grady of the Madison Police Department.

The department sent 105 officers to break up the crowd, and eight sustained minor injuries, mostly from thrown objects, police said.

‘This is the first time I can remember that we ever had police officers put on protective equipment, and I’ve been here since 1980,’ he said.

The riot started about 1:30 a.m. during the annual Halloween party on State Street, the city’s main street dotted with restaurants and small shops that connects the state Capitol to the University of Wisconsin campus.

The disturbance may have started after some people began fighting with bottles, Grady said. When police tried to help some injured people, others threw bottles at them.

‘I’m sure alcohol had a big part of this,’ he said.

People threw bottles at apartment windows, and some residents retaliated with bottles, injuring at least two people, police said.

Others ripped out street signs and bike racks, threw bricks, tipped trash barrels and newspaper vending machines and started a small fire, police said.

Police used pepper spray and later tear gas to disperse the crowd because of the danger to officers and the damage, the department said.

The crowd smashed windows in nine businesses and looted two, Grady said. The riot, which spanned about two blocks, was over by 4:30 a.m., police said.

Another Halloween celebration Thursday night, which attracted mostly students, didn’t cause any unusual problems, Grady said.

The crowd early Sunday was more of a mixed group and included many out-of-towners, he said. He suspected those who caused most of the damage were not connected to UW.

‘It’s a usually a good time and a safe time,’ Grady said. ‘It’s not unusual for a lot people to come from around the nation.’

All the reports were not in Sunday, but Grady expected the number arrested and injured was higher than initial reports.

State Street was still closed late Sunday morning for cleanup.

‘We had to reroute buses. It’s so trashed they just can’t go down there,’ Grady said. ‘I think the history of this evening there has been some arrested but there just wasn’t abject violence like this.’

Most of the time, I love this city and this campus. But sometimes, I just can’t believe what goes on here. This is one time I’m not proud to go to UW-M.

Oh, yeah, and just to point out – 65,000 people. I was on ONE STREET that had more people than live in Janesville. That’s the most bizarre feeling in the world. I can’t even explain it, you just had to be there.