By Leo Wallach
Daily Bruin Contributor
Police officers dressed in riot gear and carrying shotguns armed
with beanbag projectiles closed off Gayley Avenue Sunday night and
cleared crowds of partygoers off the street.
“They started up at Strathmore (Avenue) and pushed their
way down,” said fifth-year English student Grant Casner.
According to UCPD, which decided to shut down the parties, the
2,000 to 3,000 people standing between the 400 and 600 blocks of
Gayley were obstructing traffic.
One person threw a bottle which broke the window of a police
car, said Nancy Greenstein, director of community services for
UCPD.
Four people were hospitalized Sunday night ““ three for
alcohol poisoning and one assault victim, Greenstein said.
Parties on “Black Sunday,” the first Sunday before
classes begin each quarter, annually draw large crowds and also a
strong police presence.
Last Sunday was no exception.
Crowds overflowed onto the sidewalk from fraternity houses on
Gayley.
Just before midnight, police set up road blocks at Le Conte and
Strathmore Avenues, formed a line, and pushed crowds off
Gayley.
Students had mixed reactions to the road blocks and police
lines.
“It’s just ridiculous they wouldn’t let people
walk up Gayley,” said fourth-year student Ann Pao, who said
it was dangerous to force female students to return to the dorms
along back streets.
But fourth-year student Kent Schofield of Chico said without
proper crowd control, Black Sunday may soon mirror parties at Chico
State University where, he said, crowd control problems are common.
He was particularly concerned about large numbers of non-UCLA
students who attend Black Sunday.
“It’s a time bomb. Sooner or later there’ll be
a huge incident,” he said.