Tear gas breaks up wild Kent State party

KENT, Ohio, April 26 (UPI) -- The end of the school year probably can't come soon enough for police who deployed the riot squad to break up a wild party at Ohio's Kent State University.

Tear gas and rubber bullets flew Saturday night in response to bottles and rocks hurled by students who were whooping it up during College Fest, an annual off-campus street party that marks the home stretch of the academic year, officials said.

"I expected the cops to be walking around making sure no one got hurt," freshman Ross Eisenberg told the Cleveland Plain-Dealer. "I never thought they'd be shooting tear gas."

Police told the newspaper they locked down all of the buildings on campus before moving in to break up the alcohol-fueled revelry. By that time, students had built a huge bonfire that included sofas and other furniture.

There was no immediate word on arrests or injuries.