Disorderly behaviour escalated tonight in the Holylands as hundreds of revellers took part in a “street rave” on Palestine Street. Police and University officials looked on helplessly as young people sang and danced along with music blaring from one of the houses. It has been alleged that the house in question was not a student house.
BY CATHERINE WYLIE AND BRENDAN HUGHES
The “street rave” took place at the Agincourt Avenue end of Palestine Street, whilst the opposite end of the street was blocked by an ambulance. The crowd sang ‘The Fields of Athenry’, the Irish national anthem and various chants, such as ‘We all live in the Holy Holylands’. It seemed that the ambulance was moved down the street in a futile attempt to disperse the crowd. Police officers then took the decision to run at the crowd, and this was successful in moving the revellers from the concentrated area, despite a defiant reprise of the Irish national anthem played on an electric guitar.
Shortly after the mob was dispersed, The Gown watched as police officers put an amplifier and guitar into the back of a police van. At this stage there was no music playing on Palestine Street.
Crowds cheered for one young man on Palestine Street who let off a fire extinguisher. Motorists attempted to dodge broken glass on the road, but many onlookers watched as tyres were punctured.
Student officers and University officials observed the chaos until late.
Across the Holylands, streets remain covered in broken bottles, glasses, empty beer cans, and an assortment of rubbish.
For more photos from the day, go to The Gown’s Facebook page.
You don’t take any sort of interest in The Gown… therefore you wouldn’t know that The Gown was originally set up in 1955 to hold the council and exec committee to account. It is not an “in-house rag.” The Gown addresses many different student issues and if there are certain events in the Student’s Union worth reporting, then it is The Gown’s job to do so.
As much as you are entitled to your own opinion your sarcasm is unnecessary. The Gown team work extremely hard to maintain an excellent standard of journalism. Calling it an “in-house” rag is just rude.
“How inclusive!” – The Gown try their very best to offer something for everyone in both the newspaper and website. Twisting words is also unnecessary.
@ litespark
if you truly want to read a rag then you should pick up a copy of the SU Mag or read some of the self-absorbed nonsense that Shane Brogan has wrote about himself on http://www.qubsu.org. That aside I asume that when you mention Manchester that you are reffering to Student Direct? http://www.umsu.manchester.ac.uk/activities/studentdirect.shtml
I believe it best correlates with the SU Mag which I have already called a rag.
I expressed the views of a number of my friends and fellow students who are not from Northern Ireland. I suppose I should have expected the reaction ‘you don’t know what you are talking about’. Obviously you are right, I will not comment further.
Thank you for putting me in my place and for stating you know (categorically) where I used to study in Manchester. To use a phrase that I have heard over here I presume the Gown ‘will not go away you know’ Like most students I will not know or care. To Catherine best of luck, to the rest of you… enjoy the navel gazing
@unknownmale
Still trying to discredit Brogan then, good stuff.
He’s the big bad boogieman you can focus all your frustration on, just keep up the Lilly/Duffy party line there.
Throw enough shit at a wall and some of it is bound to stick, and what you have in abundance is plenty of shit.
@Litespark
You came on and criticised The Gown as not being relevant to you. It’s difficult to please 25,000 students in one condensed paper. You held up the Manchester Uni ‘newspaper’ as an example of how you like your media.
Since their newspaper is edited by a paid sabbatical officer, can you really expect it to scrutinize itself. There’s as much chance in it doing that than a Govt Press Office criticising Gordan Brown.
You are right in that most student’s have no idea about who runs their union or union politics. The Gown might agree, but views this as a bad thing. Nobody else is in a position to write what The Gown does, this is the benefit of an independent newspaper.
Once again if you don’t like the direction, why not apply for an editorial position, or would that be too much like actually putting money where your mouth is? Better to sit back and ridicule those who volunteer thanklessly with their time and effort. But don’t sit there and not expect anyone to react when you do attack The Gown.
@ Sour Grapes
I have no love for the Chuckle Brothers. Also “abundance” and “plenty” are synonyms. In fact the sentence would work perfectly well as “Throw enough shit at a wall and some of it is bound to stick, and what you have in plenty is an abundance of shit.”
@ litespark
If you don’t want us to mention Manchester why did you see fit to bring it into the conversation?