A riot sprang out in a Southern California town over the weekend when participants began attacking each other and, ultimately, police.
Deltopia (which replaced Floatopia) takes place in Isla Vista, Calif. near the University of California Santa Barbara each year to celebrate cool vibes and nice California weather. Things got out of hand when a member of the 15,000-person crows launched a backpack containing alcohol bottles at a police officer's face. The crowd began throwing bottles, beer cans and bricks at cops, who countered with tear gas, pepper spray, foam projectiles and flash bangs.
By the time police in Santa Barbara were forced to deploy an armored SWAT vehicle, the situation had officially gotten all the way out of hand. Cars were destroyed, random fires were lit, police found weapons on several people and a stabbing was reported.
When the smoke finally cleared, 100 people were arrested and 44 were hospitalized. Floatopia was shut down in 2009 due to carnage and after this, Deltopia might face the same fate.
[via Gawker and Santa Barbara Independent]
