U of Minn. drunken student angst leads to pointless riot

In case you missed the undeniably lame excitement near the University of Minnesota campus this weekend, here's the rundown: It was Spring Jam week on campus, which means students have a really lame excuse to drink even more than usual. A Dinkytown party gets a little too big, students start a giant bonfire in the street and police show up to stop the mayhem. Students start to get really cool and try to tip a car and then proceed to throw glass bottles at police. Police react by shooting them with pepper spray and foam pellets.

Some students are pissed and say the police used excessive force to break up the drunken street party. Check out the coverage below to decide for yourself.

The Minnesota Daily had the most in-depth coverage on the ground as the riot unfolded. Check out their full report here. Their report says more than 500 students were involved. Campus partying started early in the morning, but things got out of hand around 8 p.m. when students started the bonfire in the street. The Pioneer Press also has a full report.

Here is a Kare11 report on the riots. Don't miss the kid totally wiping out on his bike:

Some videos taken by bystanders and participants:

And the aftermath:
 

A Star Tribune story brings up questions about the police response and a letter to the Daily expresses similar concerns.