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Tag: riots

  • Jerusalem Riot Breaks Out At Holy Site

    Jerusalem Riot Breaks Out At Holy Site

    Israeli police were called to a holy site known to the Jews as Temple Mount and known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary today when a riot broke out. Because the two religious groups both use the site for worship, arguments and fights often break out.

    The riot that broke out was one of the more serious incidents to take place at the site and police said that rioters were throwing rocks from the top of the monument. The police used tear gas to control the crowd and stop the riot.

    The site remained opened after the riot, but was being watched by the police. Although the religious groups typically use the site at the same time, they usually try to avoid each other. Due to the Passover holiday, more Jews have been visiting the site lately, causing more tension between the groups.

    The Muslims believe that the site is where Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. The Jews believe the site is the holiest part of two ancient temples that existed about 2,000 years ago. They also hope a third temple will be built on the site in the future.

    The Palestinians currently claim east Jerusalem and the Old City as the capital of their future state, but the site is the topic of peace talks that are planned to end at the end of the month. The U.S. has been trying to resolve issues surrounding the site for over 9 months, but neither side is willing to back down.

    Peace talks were scheduled for Wednesday, but had to be canceled because the U.S. mediator was unable to attend. They are scheduled to resume on Thursday.

    Do you think the two sides will come to an agreement before their deadline on April 29th?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Isla Vista Riots: Fighting for the Right to Party?

    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.

    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

  • ‘Blarney Blowout’ Party: 73 Arrested at UMass Amherst

    A massive college party over the weekend near the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus ended with several injured police officers and jail time for some students.

    The ‘Blarney Blowout,’ which is a pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration held the Saturday before Spring Break, “gets worst every year”, according to one of Amherst’s police chiefs.

    “This can’t be in any way, shape or form be characterized as a party,” Amherst Capt. Christopher Pronovost said. “This is destruction of property (and) assaultive behavior.”

    The chaos started around 10 a.m. Saturday morning. But by 11 a.m., the crowd consisted of 4,000 drunk college students carrying out violent behavior.

    There were reportedly numerous vehicles damaged, including those that belonged to police officers.

    Twenty Amherst police officers along with state and campus law enforcement responded to the revelry.

    At one scene in particular, officers were attacked with glass bottles and snow balls at the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity House. It eventually resulted in pepper spraying the uncontrollable crowd.

    The local fire department reported that several partygoers were treated on scene for injuries to the head and limbs while a few were taken to the local hospital.

    Four police officers were also treated for minor injuries that didn’t require hospitalization.

    “The size and scope of these gatherings has led to many safety and quality of life issues, including violence and fights, injuries, severe alcohol intoxication, sexual assaults, excessive noise, property damage, and violence towards the police and community members,” the police department stated on its blog.

    UMass Amherst issued a statement beforehand warning students of the disciplinary action that would be taken if the celebration spiraled out of control.

    According to the Los Angeles Times, the letters were sent “…to students who had been disciplined for alcohol-related misconduct in the past year and to students who live in off-campus housing cited for noise or nuisance complaints reminding them of the possible consequences of bad behavior.”

    Obviously, they didn’t heed the warning. (image)

    Around 7:30 p.m., 43 people were arrested in connection to the mayhem. By Sunday, 73 were arrested on charges related to alcohol violations and assault.

    Additional charges range from 18 counts of inciting a riot, three counts of possessing a dangerous weapon, and one count of breaking and entering.

    Spokesman Ed Blaguszewski confirmed in a statement that the student dean would assess all arrests, and suspension or removal from the school would be enforced accordingly.

    Image via YouTube

  • Singapore Riots: First In 40 Years

    Singapore witnessed their first riot in over 40 years over the weekend, which led to the arrest of 27 people. Following a fatal accident that killed an Indian worker, more than 400 people took to the streets in one of the worst cases of civil unrest in their history. An estimated eighteen people were injured, including 10 police officers.

    The riot began after a private bus hit and killed Sakthivel Kuaravelu last night in ‘Little India, where the Indian and Bangladeshi foreign workers live. The crowd chased the bus, that was driven by a Singapore national, and set fire to many police cars and ambulances.

    The last time that Singapore, which is considered one of the world’s safest cities, witnessed a riot of this magnitude was in 1969 during the communal riots. The riot in 1969 lasted for seven days and left four people dead and 80 wounded. It is reported that tension has been rising in Singapore since the increase of foreign workers, most coming from South Asia.

    Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, posted a statement on his personal Facebook page that read: “The Little India riot last night was a very grave incident. Several police officers were injured, and vehicles damaged or destroyed. The situation is now under control, and investigations are underway. Whatever events may have sparked the rioting, there is no excuse for such violent, destructive, and criminal behavior. We will spare no effort to identify the culprits and deal with them with the full force of the law. I urge all Singaporeans to stay calm. Do send the Police any information, photos or videos of the incident that you may have. I also wish the injured officers a full and speedy recovery.”

    Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

    Loong released an updated statement this morning, via Facebook, discussing the ongoing investigation and the foreign workers in their country.

    I have ordered a Committee of Inquiry (COI) to look into the Little India riot. The COI will review the factors that led to the incident, how the incident was handled, and how we manage areas where foreign workers congregate. This was an isolated incident caused by an unruly mob. The vast majority of foreign workers here obey our laws. We must not let this bad incident tarnish our views of foreigner workers here. Nor should we condone hateful or xenophobic comments, especially online. Let us remain calm and continue with our daily lives. Support our Home Team officers on the front line, and share with them any leads you may have. We must unite to deal with this unfortunate incident, to keep Singapore orderly and safe.

    Post by Lee Hsien Loong.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • China: Knife Attacks Kill 24 in Riots

    China: Knife Attacks Kill 24 in Riots

    As riots in western China continue, the violence of clashes between police and protesters is escalating. Recent rioting in northwest China has left 24 people dead this week.

    Official Chinese news agency Xinhua is reporting that 24 people were killed by rioters in Lukqun Township in China‘s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region on Wednesday. At around 6 am local time, the rioters reportedly attacked the township’s police stations, a local government building, and nearby construction site.

    Of the 24 dead, police reportedly shot and killed 11 rioters. 16 of the dead are reportedly of the Uyghur ethnic group. In addition to the 24 people killed, 22 police officers and civillians were reportedly injured, and police cars were set on fire. The Chinese government is calling the incident a “violent terrorist attack.”

    The Uyghur ethic group is a Muslim minority living primarily in the Xinjiang Uyghur region of western China. Similar riots killed 21 people in April, and in 2009 nearly 200 people died as a result of Uyghur riots. The riots stem from ethnic tensions between the Uyghurs and ethnic Chinese people.

    (via Xinhua)

  • Rioting In Western China Leaves 27 Dead

    Rioting In Western China Leaves 27 Dead

    Rioting in western China’s Xinjiang province has left at least 27 dead at the hands of “knife-wielding mobs” according to Chinese authorities. The province, which is home to a significant Uyghur minority, and is among the poorest provinces in the country, has been seen numerous outbreaks of violence over the years, but this is the worst rioting since 2009.

    The reasons for the unrest remain unclear. According to the government-controlled media, however, eight civilians and nine police or security personnel were killed by the rioters before police opened fire, killing ten of them. Chinese authorities reported that the rioters were setting police cars on fire and stabbing people. A construction site, local government building, and several police stations were also reportedly attacked.

    The Uyghur (alternatively Uigur or Uygur) are a Turkic people and are predominantly Sunni Muslims. There have been numerous reports of oppression of the Uygur at the hands of the Chinese government and, as noted above, the region has seen regular outbreaks of violence over the years. The worst was in 2009, when over 200 people were killed. Twenty-one people were killed in what the government called terrorist attacks in April.

    According to a statement by the World Uyghur Congress, communications with the region have been locked down by the Chinese government. The WUC called the official version of events into question. They say that the violence is the result of continued oppression of the Uyghur people by the Chinese government.

    It is unclear whether any violence is still ongoing in the region, or whether Chinese authorities have the rioting under control.

  • Paris: Riots Follow Saint-Germain Soccer Victory

    French soccer team Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) locked up its first Ligue 1 title in nearly 20 years this weekend, sending the team to the Champions League group stage and prompting celebration in Paris. Unfortunately, police and soccer fans did not get along during the celebration, and a riot in Paris has hurt fans and damaged property.

    According to a BBC News report, at least 30 people have been injured and 21 have been arrested after a planned celebratory parade for PSG turned violent. Protesters were reportedly sporadically clashing with police for hours before the city was back under police control. A boat ride for PSG players and a trophy presentation scheduled for Wednesday have been cancelled.

    The violence reportedly began when thousands of PSG fans grew restless while waiting for PSG players to show up at an event. Riot police fired tear gas and smoke bombs as fans threw rocks and other objects at police. The violence spilled out to the Champs-Elysees, where restaurants closed early and storefronts were vandalized.

    PSG has issued a statement, saying that the riot was caused by “a few hundred troublemakers who have nothing to do with football.” The statement, in full:

    The party was spoiled by a few hundred troublemakers who have nothing to do with football and even less with those that fill the Parc des Princes on match days with such passion and enthusiasm and in total security.

    All the members of the club, the players and the directors, express to all those loyal and passionate fans their heartfelt regret that today’s trophy presentation ceremony had to be cut short.

    The celebrations will continue this Saturday at the Parc des Princes for the Ligue 1 match against Brest, when the club and its fans will unite in the joy of Paris Saint-Germain’s first league title in 19 years.

    Paris Saint-Germain is more determined than ever to build a huge European club, worthy of the French capital, and far removed from those intent on trying to destroy that dream.

  • Foxconn Riot Ends With Injuries and Arrests

    Workers at Foxconn’s Tiayuan plant in Northern China rioted Sunday evening, injuring 40 people and resulting in several arrests.

    The riot was made up of about 2,000 people and took place outside of the workers’ dormitories. The cause of the riot is not certain, though The Next Web reports that Baidu posts claim the violence started when security guards began hitting a worker.

    It is also unclear how much damage was done to the facility. The Next Web states that the Tiayuan facility is the same one infiltrated by an undercover journalist earlier this month to document the working conditions. That reporter worked on assembling parts for the iPhone 5 during his time there, meaning these riots could conceivably delay the shipment of more iPhone 5s.

    This isn’t the first time Foxconn has seen a riot at one of its city-sized plants. In June of this year workers at Foxconn’s Chengdu plant rioted after workers accosted security guards in the worker dorms.

    Foxconn is a Chinese manufacturer that is well-known for manufacturing Apple’s iPhones and iPhone parts. The company in the past has been criticized for its working conditions and for the multiple suicides committed by its workers. Foxconn has recently committed to cutting workers’ long hours and improving safety in their facilities.

    Below is a video taken during the event, though the hectic nature of the footage and poor lighting make it nearly impossible to see what is happening. The second video appears to have been taken after the riot, and shows a bit of the aftermath, including the large police presence.

  • #LexingtonPoliceScanner Provides Best Post Game Entertainment Ever

    Unless you’ve lived in Lexington, KY for an extended period of time then you just can’t understand what UK basketball means to the fans in the state. When you’re born here, most likely you come into the world with UK blue pumping in your veins. There are 80 year old grandma-fans who will school you on what to do against a matchup-zone, and will tell you the leading scorer of UK’s team in 1971. Without looking it up.

    Last night, the fervor of fans came to a head when the team won its 8th national championship. What happened next, however, is where the story truly begins…

    The clock ticked zero, and a majority of UK’s campus became flooded with intoxicated fans who just couldn’t hold in their jubilation/insanity and took to the streets of Lexington. No one living in the city was surprised by what occurred last night, as a miniature version of it happened just two nights prior. However, if you took part in the leading Twitter topic that was #LexingtonPoliceScanner, you almost couldn’t believe what you heard…

    (image)

    During the entirety of my listening to the police scanner, which was buzzing with traffic last night, I overheard these gems:

    “Just let the small fires burn out”

    “They’re breaking a tree”

    “There’s a female wearing blue, bleeding from the leg”

    “Hold your traffic, we have a garage on fire”

    “She says her boyfriend is breaking things in the house. Male. White. Wearing a UK shirt”

    “We’ve got a flash mob, everyone saying they’re going to shoot everybody”

    “Just let them shoot their fireworks, aslong as they aren’t at anybody”

    I wasn’t alone in listening, as I was enjoying it with 10,000+ who were all basking in the greatness of the event. Which if you were listening was 2 parts ridiculousness, and 1 part hilarity. If you need proof of the entertainment value, here’s what people had to say about the event.

    (image)@FlyAuburn13
    Michael Pfeiffer    #LexingtonPoliceScanner may be the funniest thing I’ve ever read(image) 14 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@kycountrymusic
    Jessica Blankenship    Best twitter feed to read is #lexingtonpolicescanner. And people wonder why University of KY fans are crazy.(image) 16 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@TheBWN
    BWN    Is Lexington still standing? Did they ever find Buddy? Was the half-naked man with a propane tank dealt with? #LexingtonPoliceScanner(image) 23 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@shakepepper
    Shaker Pepper    Last night was social medias greatest night. We all felt like we were rioting and wilding #gangster #LexingtonPoliceScanner(image) 30 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    The night wasn’t all negative, as you can see one of the riot officers taking time to celebrate in the glory of UK’s 8th ‘ship. Which is an aspect of the riots many people missed; that a lot of the police officers on the scene were UK fans.

    (It should be noted that this photo may have been taken Saturday night after the Louisville game, but does it really matter?)

    (image)

    There were so many angles of the #LexingtonPoliceScanner, but I believe my favorite was the dispatch officer, who was a 2am Twitter celebrity last night. Highlighting her voice, which I have to say didn’t sound as if couches and cars were on fire…

    (image)@bewaterofbk
    bewaterofbk    Dispatch girl have cute voice but hot girls done work night shift for PD! #lexingtonpolicescanner(image) 5 hours ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Jumbacoholic69
    Austin     Sultry dispatch girl is back. And she just said go ahead bacon. #love #lexingtonpolicescanner(image) 5 hours ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@JohnnyJalapeno7
    Johnny Pepper    Dispatch lady, say “Car RamRod!” #lexingtonpolicescanner(image) 5 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@StephenWRhodes
    Stephen Rhodes    This dispatch lady needs to get into radio as a Nighttime DJ. #LexingtonPoliceScanner(image) 6 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    While my favorite might have been the dispatch lady, everyone else really wanted to know more about the partial nude male running around with a propane tank.

    (image)@TheBWN
    BWN    Is Lexington still standing? Did they ever find Buddy? Was the half-naked man with a propane tank dealt with? #LexingtonPoliceScanner(image) 37 minutes ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@TheJoshRobbins
    Josh Robbins    My favorite line of the night “Uh We have a partially nude male with a propane tank” If you missed the fun, search #LexingtonPoliceScanner(image) 56 minutes ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@Ben_Hatten
    Ben Hatten    “Uhh we have a partially nude male with a propane tank” #LexingtonPoliceScanner(image) 7 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    It would be a shame if I came out of last night not having learned anything. During the course of the evening you heard the officers mention “code 1”, which instinctively led me to Google. Code 1 stands for arrest, which if you were keeping up with the scanner; there were plenty of code 1’s.

    While this has all been good fun, there are many who are disappointed and ashamed of the events that occurred last night. To these people I would say – there are morons everywhere. When you mix the invincible, drunk mindset of a college student with moronity, things like this happen.

    For those like me, it was a night of laughing at the ridiculous, and being able to say that the small city of Lexington became – ProjectLeX for just one night.

  • UK President Implores Fans To Behave Responsibly

    In light of Saturday night’s disorder, the University of Kentucky’s President, Dr. Eli Capilouto, has written an email, asking his student body to behave in a responsible manner if the basketball team beats Kansas later tonight. Considering how UK fans acted after beating Louisville, Dr Capilouto’s words will likely fall on deaf ears, but he did go on record concerning any potential punishments.

    The content of the email is as follows. The added emphasis is ours:

    The excitement over Saturday’s victory against the Cardinals was quickly dampened by the irresponsible and destructive behavior of some UK students and community members. The illegal and dangerous actions of a small minority detracted from honoring the student-athletes who have worked tirelessly to represent UK at a national level.

    Celebration of our team’s achievement is important. But when our actions endanger the lives of students, neighbors, law enforcement, and safety officials, we’ve crossed a critical line. Illegal behavior that jeopardizes the safety and well-being of others will not be tolerated, and those who cross that line will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law and, where applicable, The Code of Student Conduct.

    We have the opportunity to make history by winning our eighth national championship. Moreover, we have the chance to change the poor perception created by the civil unrest Saturday night and show the world that we are a leading Flagship and Land Grant Research University.

    I implore you to be safe, be respectful, and don’t be stupid.

    Go Cats!

    Eli Capilouto
    President
    University of Kentucky

    From this student’s perspective, while the “don’t be stupid” stands out, the idea of punishing those who “cross the line” not only with legal action, but with the student’s code of conduct should provide a clear enough warning. That is, if you act a fool and get caught, aside from legal punishment, there’s a good chance you won’t be attending the university, either.

    Dr Capilouto’s words were essentially echoed by the Lexington Police Department, which offered a statement about any upcoming celebration shenanigans:

    “The most difficult challenges came from those in the State Street area,” [Chief Ronnie] Bastin said. “The behavior of many of those people … was dangerous, criminal and unacceptable. This behavior cannot be tolerated and will not be tolerated.”

    There’s a not-so-fine line between celebrating a highly-anticipated win and trying to burn a neighborhood down because your team won. Hopefully, if the situation warrants, most of the UK students will be on the sensible side, but if Saturday night serves as any indication, it may be another long night for the Lexington Police Department.

  • Lexington Fire Department Tweets Detailed Account of Student “Riots”

    The Lexington “riots” were the talk of the town–and beyond–this past weekend as Kentucky fans students took the street to, as the lead image indicates, apparently break stuff to show how much they enjoyed beating the Louisville Cardinals. We’ve already discussed the the fun stuff that went on, and now, some more details.

    Not only did the media latch onto the wild behavior, as USAToday points, the official Twitter account for the Lexington Professional Firefighters IAFF Local 526 provided readers with blow-by-blow details of the debauchery, which reads like a war correspondent’s diary:

    (image)@HLpublicsafety
    HLpublicsafety    Mark Blankenship of Lex. Fire Dept. says too many fires to count, no arson arrests but several for disorderly conduct #bbn(image) 1 day ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IAFF526Bartley
    Lexington IAFF 526    ?@HLpublicsafety: About 9:45 p.m., cops started sweeping state street by walking in formation. Revelers are dispersing. #bbn?(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IAFF526Bartley
    Lexington IAFF 526    ?@HLpublicsafety: Crowd has flipped another car in 100 block of State Street. About two dozen students are on top of it.?(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IAFF526Bartley
    Lexington IAFF 526    ?@HLpublicsafety: Big police bus headed to State Street #bbn?(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@HLpublicsafety
    HLpublicsafety    Police have cleared the overturned car of people. Behind the line of officers clearing the crowd is a police officer with a video camera.(image) 1 day ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IAFF526Bartley
    Lexington IAFF 526    ?@HLpublicsafety: Overturned car on State Street has now been set on fire.?(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IAFF526Bartley
    Lexington IAFF 526    ?@HLpublicsafety: Scanner: Police can use pepperball spray if students on State Street keep throwing bottles. #bbn?(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@HLpublicsafety
    HLpublicsafety    Police say they’re filming crowds with undercover officers, and from helicopter, will review film in future to make more arrests #bbn(image) 1 day ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@IAFF526Bartley
    Lexington IAFF 526    ?@HLpublicsafety: Police have set up perimter around burning car b/c fire engine ran out of water, have to wait for another #bbn?(image) 1 day ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    As you can see, it looks like a good time was had by all parties. The thing is, if Kentucky does indeed beat Kansas tonight, therefore, winning the National Championship, Saturday will probably seem tame compared to what’s potentially to come. All in the name of a basketball game. One wishes these youngsters would be so outspoken against things like SOPA and other human rights interests. Such passion, directed at something worthwhile, could start the wheels of change moving in the right direction.

    As it stands, Kentucky students look like a bunch of bored kids looking for any excuse to break stuff.

  • Kentucky Fans Lose Their Collective Minds After Beating Louisville

    Here’s a pop quiz for sports fans out there: What do you do after your team beats their rival in an important game? Do you:

    A. Celebrate with friends
    B. Sit back and reflect upon the hard-fought win while smiling to yourself
    C. Get online and bask in the glow of your team’s victory on various social media sites, or,
    D. Go outside to burn furniture, flip cars, and make the fanbase a collective laughingstock?

    If you lived in Lexington, Kentucky this past weekend, following the University of Kentucky’s win against Louisville on Saturday night, chances are choice “D” featured prominently in your life, especially if you’re a UK student who lives near campus. In case you missed it, following the UK/UofL game, Kentucky fans took to the streets and acted like absolute fools by flipping cars over and starting couch fires.

    Naturally, the national media got ahold of the story, cementing the collective embarrassment the rambunctious students provided for the rest of the fanbase with.

    Examples of the mayhem was, naturally, captured and posted on YouTube:


    Kentucky.com has another collection of videos, but be warned, if you’re interested in viewing the page, make sure you have your volume adjusted accordingly. For some reason, the designers decided it was an effective strategy to have all of their embedded videos autoplay at once, and considering the article features seven videos, the result would make the group “Art of Noise” proud.

    The local paper also has photo galleries of the student “riots,”, which provided the lead image, as well as the subsequent “morning after” pictures. The out-of-control reaction from UK students was even expected, and the head coach, John Calipari, tried to defuse such activity on Twitter:

    (image)@UKCoachCalipari
    John Calipari    #BBN, I’m as happy as anyone for our players to win, but please celebrate safely tonight. Remember, we still have one more to go.(image) 1 day ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Unfortunately, Calipari’s pleas fell on deaf ears, otherwise known as the ears of drunk students dying to celebrate their team’s win in the most noticeable manner possible. In anticipation of tonight’s Kentucky/Kansas National Championship game, the Lexington police force is apparently planning on increasing their presence in order to prevent a repeat of Saturday’s shenanigans.

    In case you’re wondering about the non-student reactions the mayhem, the comments section of Kentucky.com video article (warning, autoplay) is quite revealing:

    Diana Buskirk:

    I think there are people out there who use any excuse to vandalize! A celebration is NOT about destroying property. I think they are just plain asinine!

    And:

    poppy1944:

    These people aren’t real fans…they are thugs!! Celebrate but do it with a bit of class…..don’t show the state of KY and the rest of the world just how stupid you are!

    Some are even questioning whether or not Kentucky fans deserve to win after such the staggering lack of self-control they exhibited. While I’m not willing to go quite that far, it’s easy to see why people would feel that way.

  • Google Maps API Gets Some New Digs To Show Off The Wares

    Since 2005, Google Maps API has resided within the general developers corner of Google at code.google.com. Today, via the Lat Long Blog, Google Maps announced that they’ve created a new home for Google Maps API creations that will better showcase the innovative uses that developers have made. From the blog:

    In addition to having all the same developer content that was previously available on code.google.com, the site is designed to highlight and illustrate new features of the Google Maps API through fun and interactive demos. Our goal with developers.google.com/maps is to inspire the next wave of innovation on the Google Maps API, and to connect developers and decision makers with the tools and services that can make their products better.

    The new developer site will be curated by the Google Maps API team and comes equipped with a tagging feature to filter searches by theme (like Art or Crime) and/or the Google Maps API used. Although there are only 139 maps currently available in the showcase, many are related to campus maps and vacation-planner maps. To highlight some of the more eccentric maps you’ll find at the new Google Maps API, here are some of the more captivating offerings from developers.

    Maps Without Maps, which as you can see, depicts a world without borders. Aside from it’s intensely minimalist design, the map was built to as a challenge to ourselves to “rethink how we interact with maps” by turning the task “finding a location into a foreign task.”

    The Guardian’s Mapping the Riots With Poverty shows the outbreak of riots last year in the UK. The map creates a comparison between location of the riots and areas stricken with low income.

    A fascinating map sure to resonate with history buffs is Time Shutter. This map depicts how cities have changed over time by overlaying historical maps over modern Google Maps. Additionally, users can submit historic photographs to help reconstruct the cities as they once were.

    And while this map isn’t currently included in the developers showcase of Google Maps people have built, it’s still one of my favorites: NUKEMAP. Drop a nuclear bomb on any place in the world to see the yield and destruction on what such an event would have on an area.

  • Nike’s Galaxy Foamposite Causes Riots, Twitter Fun

    What some are calling the “most anticipated Nike releases to date,” the release of Nike’s Galaxy Foamposite shoes did not disappoint, at least on an entertainment front. Yes, it the enjoyment was coupled with a tinge of sadness as you watch a nation of youngsters do everything short of selling their souls, all to own a piece of Nike’s sole.

    Bad puns aside, the anticipation for Nike’s $220 is so high, folks in Orlando started acting unruly, causing the city to send out riot geared police units. While there were no reports of arrests or shootings in the Orlando area (thank goodness for small miracles), the hubbub did cause Foot Locker to cancel some of their Florida releases:

    Update 2/24,1:30am EST: Due to safety concerns, we are canceling the All-Star releases this weekend (product list below) at the following Foot Locker House of Hoops stores: Florida Mall, Pembroke Mall, University Mall in Tampa, Southlake Mall and PG Plaza. Our priority is the safety of the community. Thank you for your understanding. Please check back for additional updates. This does not affect online releases.

    As with everything in today’s world, there’s some civilian video of the fun in Orlando:

    The mainstream media braved the scene as well:

    But the real fun surrounding the Foamposites came from Twitter, which is just about par for the course. While the trend has cooled some this morning; last night, it was a roaring fire. I “favorited” some of the ones that stood out. Be warned, however, the language use is NSFW, and may be slightly offensive to those who are uncomfortable with certain race-related terms:

    @Rozay_Tre
    #TheMoneyTeam    I hope nobody get shot did weekend over dem galaxy foams…. Das if anybody gets em… Only like 550 pairs…. WORLDWIDE doe, dat shit cray 7 hours ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Jay_Ambition32
    JayJay Harris    RT @Ashley_WINEFINE how you sell your car, YOUR WHOLE CAR .. to buy the Galaxy Foams? #GodWhy 9 hours ago via Twidroyd for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    In fact, there was a lot of back and forth over the riots and the lengths people go through just to get some shoes. Some took it as a reflection on society as a whole, while some thought they were just ugly. That being said, the demand for the Foamposites is high:

    @_imBigMike
    Mike Baker    I need them Galaxy Foams in my life!!!!! 7 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @Dope_Since_92
    Rok    Them galaxy foams are terrible 7 hours ago via Seesmic ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @SeikoPatrice
    baby face.    Those foam galaxy are ugly. The only reason some of you want to cop them just so you can fit in. 7 hours ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @YslRomie
    Romie_Starz    Riots over galaxy foam!! Aint it supposed to be Black history month, smh C”mon Son. 7 hours ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @biggiemarley420
    G.O.D (God or Die)    Niggas fighting for the galaxy foam but niggas ain’t fight for the cure to cancer and aids #c‘monman 6 hours ago via Twitter for Android ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @luckynum_slevin
    Slevin Kelevra    Some ppl are gonna get the galaxy foam and soon see heaven…guns the ultimate Barter system 10 hours ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @_LueSoccerJU_
    Jamie Urena    Someone bought galaxy foams. Now he trying to trade em’ for a used car. Nigga’ smart a’f 😀 7 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @JerseyDread
    The Demon Cleaner    Bros I’m a Foam fanatic crazy, but 1. ARE YOU REALLY TRADING YOUR CAR?? and 2. ARE YOU REALLY BIDDING 20K on the GALAXY FOAMS?? 7 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @ThatBulJustin
    Justin Brooks    I hope the niggas gettin the galaxy foams know that the only people they can wear those shoes around are white people 7 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @heen_Doggish
    Muh-Heen-Knee B™     Galaxy Foams goin for $2500 on Ebay. Thats more than my damn rims cost. Imma pass 7 hours ago via Echofon ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    Speaking of eBay, while I haven’t seen any $2500 auctions — there were even rumors of $20,000 auctions, for goodness’ sakes — there are quite a few asking for $1000 or more. Is this how society falls? People absolutely losing their collective minds over a pair of basketball shoes and starting a riot that brings the country to its knees?

    Would you be surprised if it did?

  • BlackBerry Blog Hacked After RIM Cooperates with Authorities

    BlackBerry Blog Hacked After RIM Cooperates with Authorities

    RIM’s official BlackBerry blog Inside Blackberry is currently down, after being hacked by a group going by the name TeaMp0isoN.

    The reason? Well, BlackBerry Messenger, was interestingly the communication channel of choice among rioters, apparently, and RIM indicated that it is cooperating with authorities who may wish to check out the related messages and who has been sending them.

    The company tweeted:

    @UK_BlackBerry
    BlackBerry UK    We feel for those impacted by the riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can. 1 day ago via CoTweet · powered by @socialditto

    The company also said in a statement, “We feel for those impacted by this weekend’s riots in London. We have engaged with the authorities to assist in any way we can. As in all markets around the world Where BlackBerry is available, we cooperate with local telecommunications operators, law enforcement and regulatory officials. Similar to other technology providers in the UK we comply with The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and co-operate fully with the Home Office and UK police forces.”

    Given that the riots themselves are in response to the “authorities,” it stands to reason that the rioters and their sympathizers are not too happy with this. Enter TeaMp0isoN.

    While the Inside BlackBerry blog is not currently functional, Mashable was able to capture a message that was displayed there before it went offline entirely. It said:

    Dear Rim;
You Will _NOT_ assist the UK Police because if u do innocent members of the public who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and owned a blackberry will get charged for no reason at all, the Police are looking to arrest as many people as possible to save themselves from embarrassment…. if you do assist the police by giving them chat logs, gps locations, customer information & access to peoples BlackBerryMessengers you will regret it, we have access to your database which includes your employees information; e.g – Addresses, Names, Phone Numbers etc. – now if u assist the police, we _WILL_ make this information public and pass it onto rioters…. do you really want a bunch of angry youths on your employees doorsteps? Think about it…. and don’t think that the police will protect your employees, the police can’t protect themselves let alone protect others….. if you make the wrong choice your database will be made public, save yourself the embarrassment and make the right choice. don’t be a puppet..
    p.s – we do not condone in innocent people being attacked in these riots nor do we condone in small businesses being looted, but we are all for the rioters that are engaging in attacks on the police and government…. and before anyone says “the blackberry employees are innocent” no they are not! They are the ones that would be assisting the police
    – TriCk – TeaMp0isoN -
Greets To: iN^SaNe – Hex00010 – MLT – BlackHacker
    – Knowledge is Power . . . . .
    #FuckTheFeds
    Twitter: @TeaMp0isoN_

    Of course it’s not all been BlackBerry messaging uniting rioters. BBC News reports:

    Disturbances in Birmingham started in the early evening when gangs of youths gathered in the city centre.

    Police said they had been aware of “Twitter intelligence” during the day suggesting there would be trouble in the city.

    In a separate article, BBC News reports:

    A massive clean-up operation is getting under way in areas affected by the riots across England.

    Twitter and Facebook users are harnessing the power of social networking to co-ordinate operations.

    Meanwhile, many more police are working more hours to try and keep some kind of order.

  • Vancouver Riots Make For Compelling Social Media Content

    Normally, wanton destruction in the face of a major championship comes from the winning city. In Vancouver, however, fans were obviously unhappy with the way the Canucks lost Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals at the hands of the Boston Bruins, and instead of, oh, going down to the local watering hole and drowning their sorrows in beers and shots, Vancouver Canucks fans decided to do the next best thing: Riot. It’s clear the Vancouver city proper was the reason the Canucks lost, so why not just destroy everything, right?

    And that’s just what Canucks fans tried to do. Meanwhile, Roberto Luongo goes unpunished.

    While the riots themselves are not necessarily web news-related, the reaction to the destruction certainly is. Naturally, social media was where the majority of the reaction took place, and while Twitter was indeed blowing up — in fact, there are still two active trends related to the Vancouver riots — there were also videos uploaded that provided a clear picture of just how raucous downtown Vancouver got after Canucks were summarily dismissed by the Bruins.

    First off, some highlights from the Twitter nation.

    As indicated, there are two trends focusing on the Vancouver fun, one titled “Dear Vancouver,” and “#canucksriot,” using the standard hashtag presentation. Although there are many posts for each topic, two of the more ones from the “#canucksriot” sums things up nicely:

    @CTrembz
    Caitlin Tremblay    I’m just going to assume that the people in the #canucksriot have a very limited mental capacity. What’s the point? It won’t bring the cup! 27 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @iluvkimmiej
    Kimberly Nicole    I’m just going to assume that the people in the #canucksriot have a limited mental capacity. 33 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Further trending topic fun:

    @tomkaters
    tomkaters    This is what happens when you have universal health care. #canucksriot #BachmannMaterial 55 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @CBCKelowna
    CBC Kelowna    Not even 5:30 am and we’re already getting calls from people embarrassed about last night. It’s gonna be a long day. #canucksriot #kelowna 46 minutes ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto

    Perhaps my favorite of them all:

    @LouBrutus
    Lou Brutus    Dear Vancouver: Don’t riot because the Stanley Cup Champions aren’t Canadians. Riot because Nickelback are Canadians. #CanucksRiot 1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    The fun continues:

    @vickyvette
    Vicky Vette    Dear Vancouver … is that a riot in your pants or are you happy to see me? 5 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    @DepressedDarth
    Darth Vader    Dear Vancouver it’s times like these I wish I had built the third Death Star, I would end this riot quickly. 7 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto

    Then there are the tweets that contain actual information about the situation, while others chastise their fellow countrymen:

    @PensAndPaws
    J. Chartier    Dear Vancouver: Egypt & Libya had reasons to revolt. You do not. I hope Canada is embarrassed enough to remove the team from your city. 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    @Notorious_JIM
    Jim Archer    Dear Vancouver, thank you for embarrassing our country. Usually it’s the Montreal fans who embarrass us, but you’ve outdone yourselves! 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    @jkozuch
    Justin Kozuch    Big props to @VancouverPD for keeping the public safe, and to @translink for providing constant transit updates. Well done! #canucksriot 1 hour ago via Osfoora for iPhone · powered by @socialditto

    And then there are the tweets that link to additional user-generated content, like the following:

    @GlobalNational
    Global National    Another raw video of last night’s #canucksriot in downtown #Vancouver: http://ow.ly/5j8As #YVR #riot 1 hour ago via HootSuite · powered by @socialditto

    @see_jane_sell
    Jane Daly    Another rocket scientist on Facebook #Canucksriot #riot http://twitpic.com/5canff 1 hour ago via Twitpic · powered by @socialditto

    The picture Jane Daly is referring to, and yes, her use of the term “rocket scientist” is quite fitting:

    Vancouver Facebook

    Speaking of Facebook, Vancouver police created and are monitoring this particular page that invites Canucks fans to post their own riot pictures. Clearly, the hope is to catch some of the rocket scientists Daly mentioned, and judging by some of the submissions, the Facebook “trap” looks like it will bear some fruit.

    The video in question shows just how out of hand these things can get when you mix alcohol, a mob mentality, and the disappointment of losing:

    Naturally, there are additional videos as well:


    Boston fans, on the other hand, were, by all accounts, fairly well behaved after their team snatched Lord Stanley’s cup from Canadian hands. Clearly, when it comes to winning professional sports championships, the city of Boston has been there before.

    The lead image is courtesy of the Vancouver Sun, and quite a few of them do a great job of showing the absolute chaos Vancouver officials had to deal with.

  • Watch: YouTube Users Capture Lakers Fan Riot Footage

    YouTube’s CitizenTube, the citizen reporting site that will power YouTube’s news feed, has posted some videos of riot footage from after the Lakers won the NBA championship. 

    Footage includes fire and explosions. Insanity:

    Imagine if the Lakers had lost. Plenty more coverage can be found here.