(U-WIRE) COLLEGE PARK, Md. — In this space over the past three years, The Diamondback has scolded students for illegal behavior after athletic events. We’ve supported police and promoted alternative celebrations.
But on Monday night, the actions of University of Maryland students, city residents, county police officers — and the absence of preparation by the university administration — were equally disgusting. Once again, fans taunted police, destroyed property and ignited bonfires. Not excusable. Once again, county police waited to disperse crowds until the fires raged and the fans gained confidence. Not excusable. Once again, the administration failed to provide worthwhile alternatives to rioting. Not excusable.
We hear frequently that illegal behavior should not be tolerated. But complaints of police inciting crowd violence are dismissed as immature. Why? Maybe because most media outlets sit by a police scanner and write stories based on official accounts, a few student quotes and disappointed alumni comments. Several Diamondback reporters were on the frontlines. One, standing still and taking notes, was hit by five pellets in less than a second. A Diamondback photographer was shot in the head Saturday night after the Kansas game.
On Monday night, the police did incite violence. No doubt about it, officers egged on some people and aggressive behaviors on both sides of the line led to fights, as The Diamondback reported Tuesday. There is no reason officers should be firing indiscriminately toward the crowd. We keep hearing police say a few dozen baboons are tainting healthy celebrations with illegal behavior.
But why, then, do police herd away every fan, including the discerning and the innocent, with gunfire? Why not warn fans first with a megaphone? Why not go in on horseback, as they have in the past? Showing no restraint, county police charged the masses with pepper and tear gasses. The violence, like that of Saturday night, did not run rampant until after police attempted to disperse thousands of people. When pushed back to the College Park Shopping Center, the focus of some fans shifted to police as the inebriated battled the ill-tempered.