Friday, July 30, 2010

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Will Folks Ever Learn To Behave?
Source: The Seattle Times
Author: Ian Ith

Mardi Gras crowds in Pioneer Square turned unruly after midnight last night, resulting in 73 arrests by Seattle Police.

One arrest was for assault when someone allegedly threw a bottle at an officer. But there had been no major trouble as revelers filtered in and out of bars and restaurants.

Despite the arrests, no injuries or property damage were reported, said Duane Fish, police spokesman. "There were no major disturbances of any kind . . . The officers did an outstanding job."

Mayor Greg Nickels said this morning he was very pleased with the police response.

"They kept our streets safe," Nickels said, and they did it in a friendly manner that did not discourage people. "There were tens of thousands of people on the street last night," he added.

For most of the night, Fat Tuesday celebrations had been calm and festive. But as the partying wore on, the crowd outside the clubs got rowdy and some fist fights broke out. Some individuals taunted police officers and threw rocks. Horse-mounted patrols kept moving people along, trying to prevent them from congregating in the streets.

At about 12:30 a.m., police vans, horses and bike patrols moved in on a throng gathered on First Avenue between Yesler Way and Cherry Street. Riot police then marched in and pushed the crowds north and refused to let them back into the area.

Many agreed that the celebration and the police department’s efforts to keep it safe were a success.

"It’s all dependent on the police, and the police have been doing a pretty good job," said Dean Benesh, manager of the New Orleans Restaurant on First Avenue South.

Police brought out their heaviest show of force last night, with as many as 300 officers working in Pioneer Square and surrounding downtown areas.

Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske, Mayor Nickels and the mayor’s wife, Sharon, were a conspicuous sight, strolling together through the streets. People who approached the trio were jovial, and friendly, shouting, "Hey mayor, hey chief!"

Nickels advised well-wishers to have a safe night. He declined offers of carnival beads.

Officers were posted on every corner and outside every restaurant and bar, while dozens of bicycle cops buzzed amid the crowd. Partygoers stuck to the sidewalks, corralled there by the police.

Those who ventured into the streets were quickly nabbed for jaywalking. Officers were handing out citations left and right for all sorts of infractions. About a half-dozen police officers stopped a small group of teens dressed punk-rock-style and made them surrender cans of beer.

At 10 p.m., Kerlikowske had said: "At this time last year, the streets had been taken over. We had young people with cardboard under their clothing (in anticipation of police using rubber bullets), and they were here looking for a confrontation. I’m not seeing that tonight."

Kerlikowske estimated the beefed-up Mardi Gras enforcement will cost $600,000 to $800,000 in overtime and other expenses. "It’s going to be an expensive undertaking, but you know what? If it goes well, it’s worth every penny."

Early in the evening, officers seemed more than willing to be friendly, chatting with revelers and tipping their hats to say "good evening" to passers-by. But they clearly had no tolerance for misbehavior.

In one instance, two young women in a car were stopped because police thought they might be flashing a crowd as they drove by. The passenger was asked to get out of the car and was scolded.

But the mood for most of the night was carnivalesque, more like a street fair than the ugly scene of last year, when mobs took over intersections, trashed cars and beat people. The riot left one man dead and as many as 70 injured.

Ryan Coleman, 21, of SeaTac had been at last year’s Fat Tuesday melee. Last night, he stopped to talk to Nickels and told him he was glad to see the heavy police presence.

"It’s good to see them out here. I just hope they don’t overreact and shoot some gas here. I also hope nobody causes trouble," Coleman said.

Kenny Xiong, 21, visiting from Sacramento, found the police presence a bit unnerving. "It makes you feel safe, but they’re lowering the fun down."

Michele and John May, from Federal Way, who had been to Pioneer Square before to celebrate Mardi Gras, said they thought the enforcement was overkill.

They were standing at what they said "was the safest place to be, in front of a biker bar and next to several police officers."

Rick Wyatt, owner of the Fenix Underground, said: "This looks a lot like Mardi Gras from years past. This is really good for the police. It’s a chance to show that they can do this without their authority being disregarded."

Most club owners reported healthy business.

"There’s always two parties — one in the bars and one in the streets," Benesh, of the New Orleans Restaurant, said early in the evening. "The street party has been pretty nonexistent, and we’re hoping it stays t