From the beginning of the night, you could feel the energy — everyone was talking about Cedar Fest. When Cedar Village was packed around midnight, the energy was at a peak. It was like a sporting event or a concert, except there was no focus. It was a gathering with no actual event. But when the police moved in, it became an event. The show was the police, in full authoritarian riot gear — they were the main event.
The mood shifted, people went from chanting “GO GREEN, GO WHITE” and “MSU, MSU, MSU” to “F—- THE POLICE!” At one point, I knew tear gas was imminent, so I walked up to a cop to ask him if they would warn us before firing. In one statement, the entirety of the night came full circle — the cop replied with a stern, “Get the f—- away from me.”
There, it hit me. We are the enemy. The police view us as an adversary, and the military-style display of power confirmed this. We are no longer people with lives and issues and futures; we are commodities, a source of money for the university and punching bags for an out-of-control, fascist police force.
Despite what has and will be said, the “riot” at Cedar Fest this past weekend was certainly not pointless. The socioeconomic implications of this event go far beyond the 52 arrests, angry police and an upset community. This is a perfect example of what happens when people become powerless. Michigan is a police state, the government doesn’t care anymore and the people are leaving in droves. This is no longer an issue of students versus the police; it was a backlash against the entire oppressive environment of this state. Instead of looking at what happened and worrying about the reputation hit that MSU might take, you should take a step back and think about what it means when a state no longer cares about its citizens. When police power and government control mean more than the people, things like this happen and I don’t see it ending any time soon.
Jeremy Frazier
human biology senior
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