Police Used Pepper Spray And Tear Gas On A Block Party Near Western Washington University This Weekend
Police originally broke up a noisy house party that had attracted a few hundred people, the Seattle Times reports. The crowd, which included WWU students, then moved to a nearby park, where people began throwing bottles at the police, prompting the riot-esque response.
WWU student newspaper the Western Front has an extraordinary photo album of the ensuing 500 person riot, including shots of college-age people antagonizing the police and the SWAT team response.
In a joint university statement, the WWU president and student body president noted that while not of the three arrests made so far have been students:
Nevertheless, this "riot" in the community we are proud to call home has stunned us all, for it is so out of character. We are a university consistently recognized as the best of our type in the Pacific Northwest. Importantly in the current context, we are also a university recognized nationally, year after year, as foremost in the state of Washington for the engagement of our students in service to the community ... And, should any of our students be found to have engaged in lawless and destructive behavior, they have no place at Western.
Various photos shared on Twitter demonstrate the scale of the block party and the alleged destruction that came with it:
PHOTOS: Police use tear gas, flash grenades on students near WWU campus: http://t.co/RiASa5Z7JD pic.twitter.com/TjVnJFF4ST
- KIRO 7 (@KIRO7Seattle) October 13, 2013
Hello Bellingham riot pic.twitter.com/lcqGTVf2vW
- Carlito ? (@Carly__Erickson) October 13, 2013
I am rolling my eyes. Love #WWU, but seriously kids, grow up. Riots ain't cool #bhamriot pic.twitter.com/tOiwCEaTo5
- Megan Marie (@YouShineMegan) October 13, 2013
This is absolutely disgusting. Seen on Instagram. If someone did that to my car... #Bellingham #BellinghamRiot #WWU pic.twitter.com/KhVcoNy1eY
- FunkMutha (@LunkenDrush) October 13, 2013
As well as the police response:
WWU reacts after a riot in the vicinity of campus. Huge crowd/some turn on police. A live report -4pm #liveonkomo pic.twitter.com/suHUe6gUX6
- Michelle Esteban (@MichelleKOMO) October 13, 2013
A man runs from a smoke bomb on Indian Street after #police broke up a #bellinghamblockparty. @TheFrontOnline @WWU pic.twitter.com/qRJclncyBZ
- Western Front Photo (@TheFrontPhoto) October 13, 2013
One popular photo on Twitter shows a college-age female twerking on a Bellingham cop car:
Girl twerking in cop car last night in bham. Congrats on making a fool out of yourself and getting kicked out of WWU pic.twitter.com/999eM5JqnS
- Kelsey Hidalgo (@ksleezy3) October 14, 2013
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