Around 6pm on Saturday, a week before finals, the annual Wheeler Block Party at Western Illinois University, turned into a "G-20 style" crackdown by a multi-jurisdictional force from the Illinois police agency with the department of Homeland Security, Macomb police officers, McDonough County sheriff department, and state police.
Riot police used mace, dogs, tear gas, and LRAD sound canons.
According to Julio Raussaeo, student of journalism at the school, he was threatened by police for filming the crackdown, because it was "infringing on their jobs."
Over 100 citations were issued by Macomb Police.
Raussaeo claims that the use of crowd supression by riot police was planned in advance. He says that Alfred Goldfarb, the president of the University sent out a mass email and took up a a full page in the student newspaper a week prior to the event warning of an increase in police security. (Source: rtr.org)
Goldfarb wrote in yesterday edition of the student newspaper:
Law enforcement personnel were present in the vicinity throughout the day. It was only after emergency medical personnel began treating dangerous levels of alcohol intoxication and when participants began engaging in dangerous activities, including vandalizing property and throwing bottles and other objects at local law enforcement officers who were not in protective gear, that the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System Mobile Field Force, comprised of officers from throughout the state, was called in for crowd control to ensure the safety of all present. The University supports the law enforcement agencies in their attempt to ensure the safety of our students and our community. (Source: Western Courier)
Demonstration planned for today for 12:15 at the University Union against the abuse to their 4th amendment rights.
According to Rausseao, Western Courier also says that the mainstream and student press have tried to spin the demonstrators as anarchists.
Update from earlier today.