The Beastie Boys might not have had this in mind as Spring Break suddenly got Really Real for the thousands of people attending the Deltopia street party event Saturday.
A local Fox news station reports that it all started when sheriff deputies came to the scene to respond to two stabbings. Two people ended up being taking to the hospital with unknown injuries.
At 9:30 p.m., a University of California-Santa Barbara police officer was hit in the head with a backpack stuffed with liquor bottles. The two police that arrived for help were also injured. Another officer was hit in the head with a brick. At this point, it was officially a riot– bottles, bricks and anything that could be thrown were being hurtled everywhere and at everyone– including police officers, paramedics and firefighters– street signs were being torn down, random things in the street were being set on fire and tear gas, pepper spray, flash bang grenades and rubber bullets flew everywhere. By the end of it, 26 people were ambulanced to the hospital for injuries and 18 people were arrested.
Driving home on the 101 from SB tonight & see 3 sets of police vehicles driving like mad to the Isla Vista riots! Crazy!
— Kris crane (@KrisKris10csb) April 6, 2014
I have never felt so ashamed and disappointed to live in Isla Vista. I hate all the out of towners causing these riots
— France (@FranceKirsten) April 6, 2014
I know everyone's wondering if I'm leading the riots in Isla Vista right now….. Yes, yes I am
— Matt Allen (@yaboyMiMa) April 6, 2014
These days, the Deltopia just seems to be a uproarious event in general, like most drunken Spring Break events. Before the riot occurred, out of the 15,000 or so people that attended the all-day event, 56 people were already arrested and 30 already visited the hospital for various injuries (including of course, alcohol poisoning). Although the melee’ was embarrassing and unnecessary to the college town, we are thankful that there will likely be more life-long regrets that happened there from three too many beers instead of any causalities.
Image via Wikimedia Commons