Things got way out of hand last Saturday at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.
For most people in St. Louis, Macomb (about 150 miles due north) might be best known for hosting the St. Louis Rams summer training camp from 1996 to 2004. For students at WIU, Macomb is better known for its annual "Wheeler Block Party" the weekend before the spring semester's final exams.
At this year's party, things quickly got out of hand when students threw a stop sign into bonfire and the SWAT team showed up to break up the scene.
Amateur video of the ensuing riot abounds on the Internet, following are some of our favorites:
This scene shot from a rooftop provides the best angle to the melee and great commentary as students begin throwing bottles at the cops.
Footage of the bonfire that started the crackdown and the crowd chanting "fuck the police."
And finally, for comparison sake, a video from last year's block party where the crowd chanted USA! USA! for unknown reasons.
For those interested in a more in-depth look at Saturday's events, here are some additional videos of the Wheeler Street crackdown:
Wheeler Block Party 1 Wheeler Block Party 2 Wheeler Block Party 3
