The article Five Fest
11 acts published last Friday included a description of the Fest from its co-creator Dominic Petrozzi that said it is definitely a free-spirited event so everyone should enjoy the surroundings; no one needs to worry about a safe environment because we are working in conjunction with the (Athens County Sheriff's Department). Trust that the officers would keep a presence of order at Five Fest was proved valid only until the sun set. As 9 p.m. approached, many of us were tired from a wild day of partying with our friends and ready to go home. With the arrival of one bus every 15 minutes, and the constant growing of our boisterous mob attempting to hop on to each as it came into sight, it was no surprise that both the mounted officers and those on foot focused their attention on us.
Keeping my friend's arm around my neck and his feet planted on the ground proved one of the most difficult tasks I have ever endured. Being packed so tightly, bodies on bodies, left for flashes of agonized faces and shouts of pain from voices all around. The voices of the three girls in between the mounted officer's horse and us are still fresh in my head. Jesus get your horse off me! Your horse is standing on my foot!! The officer's response shook me more than the waves of the crowd. Well get the f*** back then. Tell your friends to back up or else your feet are gonna get stepped on. After hearing this, and then seeing the tears begin to slide down the face of one of the girls, I pushed us away from where the horse was and over to where the officers were on foot. It was there, as another empty bus approached, that the continual motion of the crowd came to a brief halt when we heard the clicking sound that all students who have seen the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Florida videos fear. Over our heads the officers were holding live Tasers. That was when our agitation about the poorly handled transportation issues turned to frustration and anger with the police. I have never been in a mob or witnessed officers use force, so it was new to me to hear the furious shouts of f***ing cops and put that bulls*** away from the kids I was pushed up against. It was then that walking home became a more appealing thought than the seats on a bus.
In a group of thousands of drunken college kids, negative emotions toward police are the last things that should be put in our heads. It is understandable that watching kids drink, dance, play games and relieve themselves in the woods all day is not the most enjoyable job in the world. However, that does not give officers the right to treat students in ways that encourage us to react irrationally. We should be able to trust that the police are here to help us, not terrorize us. Officers must be reminded that the threat of force can often times be as intimidating as the use of force, especially in situations like the exodus from Five Fest.
Nicco Mannarino is a senior English major.
Associate editor's note: The Post's policy is not to censor profanity when it is important to the point being made. This letter was received already censored, and was left as such to preserve the integrity of the letter.
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