KEENE, N.H. — Violent disturbances near Keene State College during an annual pumpkin festival lasted until early Sunday, and involved dozens of arrests and injuries, as well as police in riot gear using tear gas to disperse crowds.
Keene State student Ellery Murray told The Boston Globe that she was at a party Saturday that had drawn a large crowd when people started throwing things. “There were about 4,000 kids in this backyard, and it almost felt like a war zone,” Murray said. “People were just throwing everything they could find — rocks, skateboards, buckets, pumpkins. It was actually kind of scary.”
The parties around the school coincided with the annual Keene Pumpkin Festival, where the community tries to set a world record of the largest number of carved and lighted jack-o-lanterns in one place.
WMUR-TV in Manchester showed video of a crowd overturning a car, people running from tear gas clouds, street signs being torn down and fires burning in the streets. Police, who dressed in riot gear and ordered crowds to disperse, also investigated reports of people throwing glass bottles and fireworks, jumping off a roof and banging on cars.
One group of young people threatened to beat up an elderly man, and another resident heard someone "threatening to kill officers," according to the Keene Police Department log, which shows 235 calls between 2:30 a.m. Friday and 3:30 a.m. Sunday and at least 49 arrests.
Not all were part of the disturbances, but at least 14 on Saturday and early Sunday appeared related to the unruly behavior. Most involved disorderly conduct or alcohol-related offenses.
At least 30 people were injured near the school before evening Saturday, and 20 of them were taken to hospitals, Keene Fire Chief Mark Howard told New England Cable News.
Gov. Maggie Hassan said state and local safety officials worked to defuse what she called "the situation." Hassan also told WMUR why police were wearing riot gear: "When you have a situation of a large crowd with both bonfires and projectiles being thrown, it's important that law enforcement be in protective gears so that we can minimize injuries to them so that they can minimize injuries in the crowd -- and that certainly was the approach they took. I am grateful that there weren't more injuries, but there certainly are injuries this morning and possibly a couple pretty serious ones."
College officials provided few specifics on the melee, but said Keene State students and out-of-town visitors were involved.
College President Anne Huot said in an emailed statement that the festival has been promoted by others "as a destination for destructive and raucous behavior," and the college had tried working with the city and campus to prevent unruly conduct. "We deplore the actions of those whose only purpose was to cause mayhem," she said, adding that the students involved will be held accountable.
RIGHT NOW: Pumpkinfest, Keene State College, PD in #riot Gear going to Work, pushing students Back. (@bostonTVguy) pic.twitter.com/Xtz3KxyppR— SUNDAY EDITION (@stacos) October 19, 2014
PHOTO: An overturned car was seen in Keene, N.H. http://t.co/vQSuyMc8zi via @jeremycfox pic.twitter.com/5AZJjGSn1O”— SUNDAY EDITION (@stacos) October 19, 2014
Trending: Riots erupt during Keene, N.H. pumpkin festival http://t.co/VF8cOqw0Nd pic.twitter.com/SmKyiFP9eR— WMTW TV (@WMTWTV) October 19, 2014
Pumpkin party gone wild, police respond with tear gas VIDEO: http://t.co/QgGhMieab2 #Keene #PumpkinFest pic.twitter.com/PrqK8EAA3G— Ruptly (@Ruptly) October 19, 2014
Some of the aftermath here in #Keene pic.twitter.com/3PqGXBmQPp— Katelyn Flint (@Katelyn_Flint) October 19, 2014
Keene police said at least 14 people were arrested during disturbances at the pumpkin festival http://t.co/kOLAaAhbqk pic.twitter.com/sQmy4PHdPS— WBZ Boston News (@cbsboston) October 19, 2014
Additional reporting by Mashable