Spring break riot

Santa Barbara, Calif.

More than 100 people were arrested and dozens—including six police officers—injured last week when a large spring break party near the University of California, Santa Barbara, deteriorated into a riot. An estimated 15,000 people were at the all-day annual “Deltopia” party at the beach community of Isla Vista, near the Santa Barbara campus. Fighting broke out when a partygoer was arrested for hitting a university officer in the face with a backpack containing large bottles of alcohol, and the disturbance went on for several hours, with police eventually using tear gas and foam projectiles to disperse the crowd, which was throwing rocks, bottles, and bricks. Street signs were ripped down and sheriff’s department vehicles were damaged in the violence. “Our community is in shock today over what happened last night,” said a spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department.