The facts were apparent in the hours after a riot erupted early

Sunday morning, but accountability was less clear as the Campustown

and ISU communities surveyed the damage.

Ames Police Chief Loras Jaeger said during a press conference

Sunday afternoon that Ames police received a citizen complaint at

11:56 p.m. Saturday. The complaint was about a party on the 2600

block of Hunt Street that was spilling out into the street. Ames

police estimated about 400 people were at the party. The group then

moved down to Welch Avenue and two groups began to form – one at

the southern part of Welch Avenue and the other at Lincoln Way and

Welch Avenue.

A trash can was set on fire in front of the Campanile replica on

Welch Avenue, and altercations rose to riot intensity with hundreds

crowding Welch Avenue and taunting police by mooning them and

shouting phrases such as “Fuck the police” and “No dry Veishea.”

Officers held out pepper spray and gas in front of them. Lamp

posts, parking meters and many storefront windows were damaged or

destroyed. Businesses closed as rioting escalated and many

employees were locked in. Jaeger said there were more than 100

officers out by the end of the night.

There were 32 arrests Sunday morning in total, with charges

including assault of an officer, criminal mischief, disorderly

conduct and interference with official acts. The most serious

injury reported was a broken foot caused by a falling lamp

post.

“I would characterize this as the most violent experience [in my

time at Veishea],” said Jaeger, who has seen 13 Veisheas.

Iowa State’s image and Veishea’s future are in question by many

community members.

“It’s going to be embarrassing for the school and the students

that acted out,” said Nic Stockdale, sophomore in agricultural

systems technology.

ISU President Gregory Geoffroy addressed the concerns

Sunday.

“I believe that we now seriously have to address the future of

Veishea, including a consideration of whether it should continue,”

he said.

Some business owners said they hoped this would be the end.

“I would like to see Veishea end,” said Jennifer Doty, former

manager of the Ames Vogue Vision Center. “The kids get drunk, have

fun, destruct, and the city and the businesses have to pay for it

the next day.”

ISU Police, Ames Police, Story County sheriff’s officers and the

Iowa State Patrol used riot control techniques, including pepper

spray and tear gas, to push back the crowd toward the Towers

residence halls after the crowd damaged several businesses,

including Kum & Go, 203 Welch Ave., and Welch Ave. Station, 207

Welch Ave. However, the crowd reformed on Lincoln Way, gathering in

the portion of the street in front of Friley Hall and pushing

officers back.

“We’re having fun,” said Derek Weber, of Dike, as he walked away

from a lamp post he and others pulled from the ground. “This is

about us leaving the bars and them gassing us.”

Several lamp posts and street signs were torn down and thrown

across Lincoln Way. A sign was thrown into Copyworks, 105 Welch

Ave., and a fire hose, which was turned on, was also dragged into

Copyworks.

The crowds of police and rioters clashed until almost 5:30 a.m.

Those in the crowds used a number of words to describe the

situation: “crazy,” “liberal,” “conservative,” and “fun” being a

few. However, one word was prevalent.

“Whatever adjective you use [to describe the riots], put

‘fucking’ in front of it, because it wouldn’t do it justice

otherwise,” said Matt Christiansen, senior in political science.

“This is mass chaos.”

Many involved in the riots claimed they were victims of police

brutality, saying they were sprayed with gas for not moving off the

streets and into buildings.

“I was in the bars, and I walk out, and immediately a cop walks

out and sprays me, and tells me to get the fuck out of there,” said

Tony Feldmann, junior in computer engineering. “After that, I

headed to come to Kum & Go and turned onto Chamberlain toward

Big Shots, and two cops were standing there and I got sprayed for a

second time, and then they told us to go the other way.”

Other students agreed they were sprayed with gas without

cause.

“The left side of my face is burning up. We didn’t do anything.

We were just walking away with the crowd [and were

pepper-sprayed],” said Andrea Seminara, junior in dietetics.

Ames Police Cmdr. Jim Robinson said Sunday afternoon officers

made it clear rioters needed to leave the area.

“Once you’re in a riot situation, all individuals that are

within the area of the riot, they are [told] to leave,” he said.

“Officers can’t differentiate [between onlookers and rioters].”

Student living in Campustown also made claims of unnecessary

brutality.

“It’s unreasonable they’re charging my yard when we were all

sitting here peacefully,” said Tim Rash, junior in computer

engineering. “It’s unreasonable to provoke people who are minding

their own business. To come into my yard and yell at me and my

friends who were all sitting down and minding their own business is

a violation of their rights.”

Several students and other attendees attempted to reason with

the crowd and police. Two men stood outside of Welch Ave. Station

as crowds threw rocks at the building, breaking windows of both

Welch Ave. Station and Pizza Pit, 207 1/2 Welch Ave.

“This is not our intention,” said Ezra Kelderman, sophomore in

mechanical engineering. “Some people are out of control.”

The men tried to talk to the rioters, but were repeatedly

taunted and pelted with objects.

“We just want peace. The cops, they’re kind of making it worse –

but people are making it worse too,” said Seth Chicas, junior in

psychology. “We don’t want them destroying buildings.”

Some blamed the past six years of an alcohol-free Veishea as the

cause of the riots.

“[Veishea] used to be a blast, just a big house party – then

that one kid got stabbed,” said Ben Holtrop, junior in political

science. “[The riots are] like, six years of frustration coming

out.”

– Leah McBride, Tom Barton, Jason Noble, Ayrel Clark, Alicia

Ebaugh and Lucas Grundmeier contributed to this article.

Related Links:

“http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/releases/2004/apr/vstatement.shtml”>

President Geoffroy Comments on Veishea(iastate.edu)

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