I just got back from Hillsborough St. where the police have shut things down while a flash rave mob continues to disperse from around the NCSU Bell Tower. By the time I left, there was no more than a hundred people, most had wandered away and things were pretty subdued.
It's 1:30 am, Monday morning, and about a half hour ago, maybe a little more, I heard a crowd that sounded really big, chanting "Wolfpack" and on the move. I first quickly checked to see if there had been some big sports event that State had won and then, when there didn't seem to be anything that would relate to a sports riot, I quickly got dressed and headed over to Hillsborough which is just a few blocks from my home.
What a number of students told me was that a flash rave had come together on the brickyard in front of the library, they didn't have a permit for music and were forced to leave or chose to leave [still figuring that out]. They then began marching and eventually took over Hillsborough St. and massed up at the Belltower. At some point the cops came and by the time I got there the cops were all lined up on the median (so that's what that's for!) and everybody else was casually hanging out in front of the Belltower or across the street watching the scene.
The students all seemed good natured and just out for some fun. They weren't harassing the cops from what I could see and the cops were plenty visible, having shut down the street with their cars, but not getting aggressive.
Basically the cops shut things down longer than did the students but, based on what one said, they were doing the public safety thing and I guess once they got there they had to make sure that things stayed cool, based on their procedures. In any case, I didn't see anything out of hand and, if you didn't know it was happening, I doubt there will be much of a trace tomorrow though I would expect lots of photos and video from news and folks on the scene.
KEY TAKEAWAY:
Letting the kids have their party on campus in a big open space like the Brickyard, even if problematic and without proper paperwork, would have kept them off Hillsborough St. and then kept the street open rather than ending with the cops shutting it down longer than the students did.
But that would take a flexible response from people working on a Sunday evening and you don't get responsive leadership at that time of night from people whose bosses are at home resting up to second guess you the next day.
ON FURTHER CONSIDERATION:
Though I do feel the opportunity to keep college kids on campus and off Hillsborough St. was lost due to inflexibility, I also got the general impression that the police handled themselves with restraint in what must have initially felt like a potentially serious and risky challenge. That's a very good thing and I wanted to make sure I mentioned their professional behavior. Thanks guys!
Related Raleighwood, NC Coverage:
NCSU Flash Rave Citizen and Media Coverage
Video: NCSU Flash Rave, Brickyard to Belltower
Twitter Timeline: Before, During & After the NCSU Flash Rave Mob Riot Party Fun Time
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