Ohio: Riot breaks out following university's announcement of temporary closure due to COVID-19

[Mrs. Overall]

Source: WBRZ

When the University of Dayton in Ohio announced it's temporary suspension of all classes and on-campus housing due to coronavirus concerns, students responded by rioting.

The announcement was made Tuesday, and within hours, hundreds of students had gathered on a campus street.

Police from multiple departments were summoned, they were seen in riot gear and witnesses say they resorted to shooting pepper balls (pepper balls are chemical pellets that can irritate the nose and eyes, some compare its effect to pepper spray) at students.

Dayton Daily News reports that the riot broke up and the students disbanded around 2:15 a.m., Wednesday morning. Though some suspect the riot was provoked by the announcement regarding a suspension of on-campus housing for certain students, at this time there is no official word on precisely why the students were rioting and if they had any explicit demands.








Read more: https://www.wbrz.com/news/ohio-riot-breaks-out-following-university-s-announcement-of-temporary-closure-due-to-covid-19/

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

1. Why riot?

This makes no sense.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

6. They are being kicked out their housing. n/t

[marble falls]

8. I might riot with them. Its one thing to bring about measures to help keep Covid ...

under some controls, its another to put students from all over Ohio and the US and internationals out on the streets with no plans.

[hellno45]

7. I think losing their housing is the main reason, NBC played this down, this happens even after sport

events so....

[evertonfc]

2. drunk and stoned kids

[marble falls]

9. Bull Shit, that wasn't even true in the 60's and 70's. Serious students are being put into the ...

streets with no housing.

[Cal Carpenter]

13. Maybe, but the key is that they're losing their housing with less than 24 hr notice. n/t

[defacto7]

3. Because they can.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. Pandemic virus? So get together in large group & shout in each other's faces? Bars closed? . . . nt

[MaryMagdaline]

5. They have no place to live

All their money and family money went to dorms and cafeteria food. They should not have rioted but this is a big problem.

[safeinOhio]

10. East Lansing they

burn couches. It was kind of fun when drunk.

[Cal Carpenter]

14. Is it fun to get kicked out of your housing with less than 24 hr notice?

Drunk or sober, I don't think so.

[safeinOhio]

16. This always took place at Cedar Village Apts.

Not campus housing. It was for winning sports events not something as bad as being kicked out of housing, but still drunks involved and this goes back to the 70s and 80s. I'm not discounting the seriousness of this event.

[Cal Carpenter]

17. Well, bringing it up on this thread makes it seem like you are comparing the two

I'm from Michigan, I know of what you speak. This is not it.

[snowybirdie]

11. Their Basketball Team

is doing well and is likely to compete in the NCAA tourny. Probably they are worried it will be cancelled.

[Cal Carpenter]

12. They were given less than 24 hrs notice that their dorms were closing

From a U of Dayton tweet 3/10/20 at 7:16 pm:

"UD housing will close at 6 pm March 11. If you are approved for an extended stay or housing over spring break, you are permitted to stay. Students should take any items necessary to continue their education from home as well as other essential items in case time away is extended."

That's really fucked up. Where are they supposed to go?

[LisaM]

20. Well, at least this makes more sense. The on-campus housing was closing for spring break.

Presumably, most students were leaving for spring break and those who weren't should already have sought approval.

They are just trying to make sure everyone who was supposed to leave for spring break does (at least, that's what I'm inferring from the notice).

[sakabatou]

15. They closed Housing, so where are they supposed to go?

[jayfish]

18. What A Joy!

I'm going to Dayton (From MI) this weekend for a music contest. IMO it should be cancelled but, as of an info-mail this morning, it's still on.

[GOPricklepants]

19. Let me give you some background

UD is a local school for me. First, the UD Flyers are having a fantastic basketball season. UD is also known for its St. Patrick's Day partying. So much so that they scheduled spring break for that week this year. They've had worse gatherings in the past prompting that decision.

So they were already having to leave campus for break. If they didn't have a way to leave today, they submit a form online as to the reason they can't leave yet. They won't be forced out.

With the University of Dayton moving it's classes online, it was they're only opportunity to have that party that they probably would've had at the end of the week.

So the school was probably reacting just like other schools to current covid-19 information, while at the same time trying to eliminate the troublesome St. Patrick's Day partying.

UD is also the host arena to the First Four NCAA basketball games. They're scheduled for the end of next week. All those visitors in the area scare me more.

[matt819]

21. Will those people who mocked the students' anger please delete your posts

These students are being tossed out of their housing. Housing, btw, that they paid for and are unlikely to be refunded on. I'm not saying it's not necessary, but some consideration is called for.

I know a student in my town who's a great kid but outside of school she is, literally, homeless. She has negotiated with the school to allow her to stay on campus during breaks, holiday, etc. And she attends classes in every term, including summer. But if she's kicked out, she has nowhere to go. Will she figure something out? Probably. But, still, it is a stress that most people would be better off doing without. Some of the rioting students may be in the same boat. Or their homes are not nearby and the expense of having to travel home unexpectedly may not be insignificant. Not all college students have parents who are able to pay for these kinds of expenses. And it's entirely possible that traveling would increase their risk of contracting the virus.

Should they have rioted? Of course not. But some consideration for their circumstances is warranted. And the nastiness is unnecessary.