Second night of rioting in Fort Collins; cars flipped, fire set

A second riot in as many nights near Colorado State University’s main campus left several flipped cars, one person in the hospital and two people in jail early Sunday morning. One fire was reportedly 20 feet in size. At least one tree was completely uprooted and others were damaged. Rioters wore gas masks, threw rocks, bottles and Molotov cocktails, and placed a “bomb” full of nails in a fire, where it exploded.

Sunday’s incident involved about 500 people and appeared more aggressive, said Fort Collins police. Some of the participants wore gas masks, placed a device with 1,000 nails in a bonfire, flipped cars and uprooted trees, said Sgt. Craig Horton.

Fort Collins police began using tear gas just before 1 a.m. to break up a group of people blocking the intersection of Plum and Bluebell streets, two blocks west of campus. It took 40 officers, including the SWAT team, to quell the disturbance.

Two people were arrested, and 12 people received noise ordinance violations.

The man taken to the hospital had a bottle broken on his head, Davis said.

The first call to police requesting assistance to break up the crowd that was reportedly out of control came in just after midnight.

Witnesses reported two cars, a Honda and a Saturn, had been flipped over, and a small couch was set on fire in the middle of Bluebell Street.

The riot occurred just one day after a riot involving more than 1,500 people in the 600 block of Howes Street.

That riot began when a crowd of college-aged people began throwing rocks and bottles about 12:15 a.m. No injuries were reported, but three people were arrested for rioting and obstructing police, and 12 people were given citations for noise violations.

It took 31 officers to disperse the crowd on Howes Street.

Police reported that they believed the second riot may have been planned.

1,500 students riot in Fort Collins

Police said they used tear gas to break up a riot early Saturday morning after several people spilled into the streets near Colorado State University, throwing rocks and bottles and setting small fires.

The crowd grew to about 1,500 people just after midnight, with people smashing bottles, uprooting signs, rocking cars and setting a small fire in a street one block from the CSU campus, police said.

Tear gas was used around 12:15 a.m., and the crowd dispersed within minutes, police said. No injuries were reported, and property damage was minimal.

Three people were arrested for rioting and obstructing police, and about a dozen noise citations were issued. Police said there might be more arrests and citations.