The East Lansing and MSU communities are beginning to sort through the aftermath of what police are calling a "civil disturbance," in which thousands of people crowded city streets Saturday night following MSU's men's team's loss to North Carolina in the Final Four in St. Louis, Mo.

Police began releasing tear gas downtown and in the Cedar Village area within 20 minutes of the end of the game to break up large groups gathered there. Students said the crowds were mostly celebratory. In some areas, fans gathered on either side of a street and cheered, "Go green, go white."

Police said they planned ahead to disperse groups of people so crowds would not be larger than officers could control. Large groups of people gathering in the roads and on sidewalks is illegal, police said.

Police estimated crowds in downtown East Lansing - mostly centralized near M.A.C. and Albert avenues - reached as high as 1,500.

In the Cedar Village area, the crowd totaled near 3,000 at times.

Police made 43 arrests Saturday, including 33 college students - 21 who attend MSU, East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said. Most were for disorderly conduct, trying to incite an incident or unlawful assembly. About 20 other citations were issued on the scene, she said.

Liebler said an estimated several hundred to 1,000 tear-gas canisters were deployed to break up crowds in Cedar Village after people began throwing bottles and rocks at police. In March Madness-related disturbances in 1999, more than 1,000 canisters of tear gas were released. In the 2003 disturbances, police said 30-40 canisters were released.

Many students involved, however, said they felt intimidated by police when they began shooting tear gas into groups, large or small.

"They weren't rioting or anything," said Jessie Rohrer, a no-preference freshman, who said she was walking on Grand River Avenue when she was teargassed. "There was so much tear gas, and they weren't doing anything. I feel like the cops were a little excessive."

Last week, officials sent out messages suggesting students celebrate safely, and they expressed confidence students would react in a positive manner. The situation after the game Saturday night quickly escalated from celebratory to agitated.

About 15 fires were set throughout the city, including ones in Dumpsters, on couches and in roads, East Lansing Fire Marshal Bob Pratt said.

Damage estimates are expected this week.

Eight agencies were involved in extensive training and preplanning and were stationed in the city by 7:30 p.m. Saturday, MSU police Chief Jim Dunlap said.

Police were stationed on the corners of roads running through the Cedar Village area and in downtown East Lansing. Liebler said they were out in full riot gear so they could respond faster in the event that a situation arose.

In the riots of 1999, several thousand people gathered in Cedar Village within minutes and police spent about an hour gathering appropriate methods to respond, she said.

On Saturday, similar patterns developed as in 1999, including a large group of people gathering in Cedar Village during halftime, Liebler said. Additional state troopers were brought in just before the game ended, she said.

Announcements were made over loudspeakers put on top of apartment buildings in Cedar Village and in the back of city trucks downtown warning people tear gas was going to be launched, said East Lansing police Chief Louis Muhn, adding that directions were given as to where to escape the gas.

Officials said students seemed to hear the announcements and a number left the area when they were made.

But many students said they couldn't hear warnings, and in all directions they ran into stinging tear gas or police.

Stephanie Reid, a general management freshman, said she never heard the announcements before the tear gas was launched. While walking after the game, she said she came upon a large crowd that was chanting loudly. After the first tear-gas canister was launched, she said she tried to leave but a cop put a tear-gas gun in her face and was yelling at her to get out or she would get gassed.

"They were very threatening," she said. "People got rowdy when the cops came."

Lauren Phillips can be reached at phill383@msu.edu.