Thousands of Penn State students riot, overturn media van in response to the firing of football coach Joe Paterno
ABC News
November 10, 2011
Thousands of enraged Penn State students tore through the streets of State College, Pa., overnight to protest the firing of Joe Paterno after the longtime head football coach was removed from his position effective immediately.
Penn State's board of trustees dismissed the legendary coach despite his statement earlier in the day that he would retire at the end of the season.
The trustees also fired university president Graham Spanier Wednesday night. Both men were booted over their handling of a sex abuse scandal involving young boys and a former assistant football coach.
Amid chants of "We want JoePa," "One more game" and "F*** the media!," rioting students flipped over a television van, knocked a lamppost onto a car, threw toilet tissue and rocks at police and set off fireworks.
Police met the rioting crowds with tear gas as it became clear that the army of officers, who were out in riot gear, were far outnumbered by students. Every local police department in the county contributed officers to the effort to control the crowd, along with state police and the county sheriff's department.
Several students directed their rage at the media by overturning over a satellite van belonging to a local CBS affiliate, breaking its windows and threatening to burn it amid chants.
At least two students were arrested and at least one injury was reported after a girl who was hit in the head with a rock was taken to the hospital.
By 3 a.m. the crowd had mostly dissipated as the cold, rainy conditions in State College likely encouraged many students to return home. A small group of students gathered at the Paterno statue at Beaver Stadium to sing the school's alma mater after the mob disbanded.
