2/14/13, “Minnesota high school placed on lockdown after cafeteria food fight turned into huge brawl over racial tensions between black and Muslim students,“ UK Daily Mail, S. Farberov
- “Between 200-300 students at South High School took part in melee
- Four people were injured, including three teens and one staff member
- Police had to spray Mace to make the crowd of brawlers disperse”
Minneapolis South High School was placed on lockdown shortly before 1pm Thursday after violence broke out during third-period lunch inside the cafeteria between Muslim and black students.
The fight involved 200-300 students and lasted about 15 minutes, leaving four people injured. Teaching continued as usual during the lockdown, but students had to remain in their classrooms.
Students were let out at 3pm as usual, and parents were not asked
to pick up their children. After-school activities proceeded as
scheduled, CBS Minnesota
reported.According to a message posted Thursday afternoon on the
school’s website, the incident began unfolding at around 12.45pm and
quickly escalated into a large-scale physical confrontation.
More than 20
staff members and two school resource officers responded immediately
and attempted to break up the fight, but were unable to handle the
situation and called the Minneapolis Police Department for help.
Dozens of police officers who arrived on the scene tried to disperse the crowd of brawling teenagers, but to no avail.
They then formed a human chain often used during crowd control situation and called on the brawlers to stand down, but when that failed, police sprayed Mace into the air above the crowd.
They then formed a human chain often used during crowd control situation and called on the brawlers to stand down, but when that failed, police sprayed Mace into the air above the crowd.
Four people, including three students and one staff member who was hit in the head with a bottle,
were sent to a hospital. Police said no weapons were used in the
altercation, and the teens’ unspecified injuries were not related to the
fight.
A dozen people also complained of suffering from side effects
related to the chemical agent sprayed by police. They were treated on
the scene for Mace inhalation. Student Abdi Sheik told CBS that the fight escalated into a ‘big riot’ over racial hostilities that have long been bubbling under the surface.
According to witnesses, an initial fight happened during the first
lunch period when one student threw a milk carton at another. By the
time the third period came around, the situation spiraled out of
control, with boys hitting girls and some students lying on the floor
and covering their faces in surrender.
Some members of the South High School community said that the violent incident was the culmination of ongoing tensions between the eight per cent of Muslim students of Somali decent and the 20 per cent who are African Americans.
‘I don’t feel safe here,’ senior Guled Omar told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. ‘This is something that has been going on [for at least two years].’
In a statement posted on the school’s website, district spokesperson Stan Alleyne wrote: ‘South is a very diverse high school.
‘It is a microcosm of the city. Students function together at a high level every day. That is the strength of this school. Our students live diversity every day.’
So far, no charges have been filed but police said students involved in the melee could potentially face assault, riot, and other counts.” via Lucianne
———————————————————-
AP report fails to mention the cause of the riot was long simmering Muslim-black tensions:
2/14/13, “Hundreds of students brawl at Minn. high school,“ AP via StarTribune.com
“A food fight quickly turned into a brawl involving hundreds of students at a Minneapolis high school on Thursday, forcing police to use chemical spray to break up the melee.
Four people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, including a staff member who was hit in the head with a bottle, according to the school and police.
The 15-minute fracas broke out during lunchtime at South High School. No weapons were used, but about 200 to 300 students were involved, Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Bill Palmer said.
Students were throwing food, plates, pop bottles — “anything they could get their hands on” — at school staff and police, Palmer said.
A dozen officers responded to the scene and used chemical spray to break up the fight, he added. School officials said police used chemical spray in the air above the crowd, though several students complained of the spray’s effects.
Student Council President Connor Bass told the Star Tribune that the scene was “chaos,” with five or six fights going on simultaneously.
“When the cops came and started spraying Mace it was just pandemonium with people trying to run away,” Bass said.
No arrests were made, but police plan to review surveillance video, which may lead to charges, Palmer said.
The school was put on lockdown after the fight, and the policy will remain in place Friday, school officials said. That means students will to stay in their classrooms during class and access to the building will be limited. Counselors also will be on hand.
The school, which has about 2,000 students, dismissed at the regular time Thursday, and afternoon athletics went ahead as scheduled.”
----------------------------------------------
Student says fights were over 'pride:'
2/14/13, "Food Fight Turns Into Melee At Mpls. South High," minnesota.cbslocal.com
"She (a student) said the fights were over pride.
“I know it’s a pride thing between Muslims and black people,” she said. “They want their pride back for something. I don’t know.”
She also said “boys were hitting girls” and that some people were lying on the floor, with their hands over their heads, in surrender....
The fight, students say, was the result of long-simmering tensions between the 8 percent of students who are Somali Americans and the 20 percent who are African Americans."
.
Some members of the South High School community said that the violent incident was the culmination of ongoing tensions between the eight per cent of Muslim students of Somali decent and the 20 per cent who are African Americans.
‘I don’t feel safe here,’ senior Guled Omar told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. ‘This is something that has been going on [for at least two years].’
In a statement posted on the school’s website, district spokesperson Stan Alleyne wrote: ‘South is a very diverse high school.
‘It is a microcosm of the city. Students function together at a high level every day. That is the strength of this school. Our students live diversity every day.’
So far, no charges have been filed but police said students involved in the melee could potentially face assault, riot, and other counts.” via Lucianne
———————————————————-
AP report fails to mention the cause of the riot was long simmering Muslim-black tensions:
2/14/13, “Hundreds of students brawl at Minn. high school,“ AP via StarTribune.com
“A food fight quickly turned into a brawl involving hundreds of students at a Minneapolis high school on Thursday, forcing police to use chemical spray to break up the melee.
Four people were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, including a staff member who was hit in the head with a bottle, according to the school and police.
The 15-minute fracas broke out during lunchtime at South High School. No weapons were used, but about 200 to 300 students were involved, Minneapolis police spokesman Sgt. Bill Palmer said.
Students were throwing food, plates, pop bottles — “anything they could get their hands on” — at school staff and police, Palmer said.
A dozen officers responded to the scene and used chemical spray to break up the fight, he added. School officials said police used chemical spray in the air above the crowd, though several students complained of the spray’s effects.
Student Council President Connor Bass told the Star Tribune that the scene was “chaos,” with five or six fights going on simultaneously.
“When the cops came and started spraying Mace it was just pandemonium with people trying to run away,” Bass said.
No arrests were made, but police plan to review surveillance video, which may lead to charges, Palmer said.
The school was put on lockdown after the fight, and the policy will remain in place Friday, school officials said. That means students will to stay in their classrooms during class and access to the building will be limited. Counselors also will be on hand.
The school, which has about 2,000 students, dismissed at the regular time Thursday, and afternoon athletics went ahead as scheduled.”
----------------------------------------------
Student says fights were over 'pride:'
2/14/13, "Food Fight Turns Into Melee At Mpls. South High," minnesota.cbslocal.com
"She (a student) said the fights were over pride.
“I know it’s a pride thing between Muslims and black people,” she said. “They want their pride back for something. I don’t know.”
She also said “boys were hitting girls” and that some people were lying on the floor, with their hands over their heads, in surrender....
The fight, students say, was the result of long-simmering tensions between the 8 percent of students who are Somali Americans and the 20 percent who are African Americans."
.
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