Jul 25, 2008 11:18 am US/Central
Police Shut Down Beach After Teens Scuffle
'Alcohol, Plus Girls, Plus Guys, Plus Crowds Equal Fights'
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
Chicago Police closed 12th Street Beach on Thursday evening after a half dozen fistfights broke out among hundreds of teenagers gathered outside the Charter One Pavilion.
There were no reports of serious injuries or arrests, and the flurry of misbehavior didn't affect the performances by opening rock band The Beautiful Girls or headliner O.A.R.
"Alcohol, plus girls, plus guys, plus crowds equal fights," Eric Hagen, 17, of Oak Lawn, said of the scene.
His friend John Glavis, 16, of Mount Greenwood, said: "Last year, it was real calm, but this year, once the first fight started, then more broke out."
Teenagers started arriving for the 7:30 p.m. show at the pavilion on Northerly Island around 4:30 p.m. Early in the evening, police swept through the crowd on the beach and nearby park, dumping out alcohol and ordering kids down from a seawall.
But about 8:30 p.m., it turned ugly as about a half dozen fistfights broke out.
Chicago Police on foot and aboard ATVs swooped in and closed the beach, then began breaking up rowdy groups in the park, ordering the teens to go home, according to police and witness accounts.
Since the venue opened, it has been a tradition for people wanting to listen to the concerts for free to gather on the beach with the permission of the Chicago Park District.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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