Mich. Police Bust Up Party Promoted on Facebook

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Police in East Lansing, Michigan say they may pursue charges against people who placed an advertisement for a party on the social networking site, Facebook. Early Sunday morning, that party near Michigan State University turned into a riot. Fifty-two people were arrested. Nearly 4,000 people were involved and many of them found out about the event on Facebook.

From member station WKAR in East Lansing, Gretchen Millich reports.

GRETCHEN MILLICH: The party called Cedar Fest started peacefully on Saturday afternoon, but turned ugly in the early morning hours after drunken revelers began pelting police with rocks and bottles and chanting, we want tear gas.

(Soundbite of protest)

Unidentified Man: They're moving forward.

MILLICH: Police here had anticipated trouble since January. They'd been monitoring a site on Facebook that featured an open invitation to the party.

Police Chief Tom Wibert thinks some of the messages on Facebook incited the riot, and he's investigating if those who posted on Facebook can be charged.

Mr. TOM WIBERT (Police Chief, East Lansing, Michigan): Inciting a riot, normally you have to actually be there. But in this day and age, can you electronically incite a riot whether you're standing in front of 5,000 people yelling burn that couch or sitting at your keyboard typing that 5,000 people burn that couch. I don't know if we're going to be a test case, and I don't know if we can do it, but we are going to try.

MILLICH: Facebook is quickly becoming the Web site of choice for young people to plan parties. Michigan State senior Ashley Burlock(ph) had never heard of Cedar Fest, but was drawn to it after seeing the Facebook posting.

Ms. ASHLEY BURLOCK (Michigan State Senior): I had no idea what Cedar Fest even was until I saw that and I didn't know the history of it, but all I knew is like 7,000 people are going to be there. So, that was kind of intriguing to see that on Facebook.

MILLICH: East Lansing police were intrigued about what the posting said, too, and they're now focusing on just how explicit the language was.

Ron Bretz teaches criminal law at Cooley Law School in Lansing. He says this will be a tough case to make.

Professor RON BRETZ (Criminal Law, Thomas Cooley Law School): You've got to show that the writer, the defendant, the person charged, specifically intended that people read his words and actually commit the crime. You have to prove that his goal was that those crimes occur.

MILLICH: Many of the Facebook postings about Cedar Fest have been taken down. But police kept a log of them all, and say they'll decide in a few weeks that they have enough evidence to press charges.

For NPR News, I'm Gretchen Millich in East Lansing.

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