News

Riots Break Outside MetLife Stadium Concert

by Melissah Yang

Uploaded onto Twitter and Instagram Sunday evening, photos from the MetLife Stadium riot showed New Jersey State Police donning riot gear and using tear gas to break up crowds outside a scheduled concert. According to The Asbury Park Press, attendees became upset after gates to the Hot 97 Summer Jam concert were closed. Police spokesman Sgt. Gregory Williams told The Associated Press more troops were deployed as "crowd control" and that arrests had been made, though the number of arrests were not disclosed.

Witnesses told The APP a fight among attendees began around 7 p.m., which prompted officials to close the gates to the concert. People still waiting to enter the stadium then reportedly began to knock over and throw metal barriers. The APP reported troopers retreated behind stadium gates as people became rowdier and threw bottles at officers. According to the newspaper, troopers later fired rounds of tear gas and used mace in attempts to disperse the crowd. Photos uploaded by Twitter users at the scene showed helicopters flying above. There were also unconfirmed reports of police using tasers on concertgoers.

Summer Jam, which was headlined by Kendrick Lamar and Chris Brown, reportedly continued inside as riots broke outside the East Rutherford, New Jersey stadium.