150 Arrested as Spring Break Crowds Flock to Miami Beach

Around 150 spring breakers were taken into custody over the weekend by the Miami Beach Police after a crowd of unruly people descended into the city's famous getaway spot despite medical experts' continuous call to avoid large gatherings.

With their aim to disperse the crowd that is on the beach, the Miami police were forced to spray pepper balls as spring breakers did not listen to the warnings. A New York Post report said that Friday marked the wildest day in the party hotspot as some 120 people were apprehended and two police officers were injured during clashes with the partygoers.

Miami Beach Authorities and Spring Breakers

"A lot of people are coming here and they are coming here with the wrong intentions," said Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, adding that they are in a tough spot because of the swarm of people going into their area.

South Beach residents shared with Associated Press that the confrontation between the authorities and people started when at least 200 spring breakers gathered at an intersection to party.

"People were just having fun in that general area," a local said, adding that the people seemed to be recording Snapchat videos.

The city of Miami Beach is placed under a midnight curfew amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an attempt to control the situation, a Miami resident told The Hill the officers popped pepper balls, and "a bunch of people started running."

One spring breaker, identified as James Harrison of Brooklyn, was arrested by the authorities for three charges, including starting a riot and resisting an officer with violence.

Authorities were trying to stop a crowd of 200 people blocking the traffic and even individuals who are smoking cannabis. The arrest resulted in two police officers' injuries because the swarm of people also attacked the authorities.

"That presented a very dangerous situation for our officers," said Ernesto Rodriguez, a public information officer from the Miami Beach Police Department.

Harrison violently resisted the arrest by grabbing one of the officer's collars and kicking, prompting one of the officers to punch him in the chest to stabilize the situation.

A police report said that Harrison's actions made the crowd extremely aggressive towards officers that posed a clear threat to the officers' safety because of the large number of unruly people.

Miami Beach Authorities' Reminders

Because of the recent incidents, additional officers from different police departments were deployed in the area and now patrolling the location, including places where many tourists are known to visit.

"If you are coming here because you think anything goes, you are going to have a terrible time," Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said in a statement, adding that unruly tourists will be arrested.

Meanwhile, law enforcement officers had expected large gatherings for spring break this month despite the coronavirus pandemic. Around 119 arrests, confiscations of 13 guns, and 866 traffic citations were already recorded by authorities over the past week.

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