Assistant city attorney Tom Yeadon said students ?prosecuted following last April’s Cedar Fest riot expressed concern about the wording of current law, and city officials are seeking to clarify what they should do when ordered by police to leave the streets during a riot.

“It’s important to understand that this doesn’t change the law, it just advises them what specific conduct they’ll be prosecuted for,” Yeadon said.

Conduct that will result in prosecution includes staying in the street when police determine that an event is an unlawful assembly, or re-entering the street shortly after leaving, Yeadon said.

“Even if you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re shielding police from others,” Yeadon said.

Although this marks the first time the city has clarified riot conduct, city officials have adopted other ordinances in the past that outlaw certain riot conduct.

“We adopted one not to stand within 300 feet of a fire, which was also a safety ordinance,” Yeadon said.

Councilmember Kevin Beard said city officials have always reviewed their handling of riot conduct in the past and sought to find what can be done in the event of a future incident.

“There’s an internal review within the police department, the city manager’s office and the citizens’ review panel,” Beard said.

Yeadon said he will attend meetings for four different city organizations — the Human Relations Commission, University Student Commission, Council of Neighborhood Presidents and the Celebrations Committee — within the next several weeks to clarify riot conduct.

“With riots, we just want to make certain people are clearing the streets,” deputy city manager George Lahanas said.

East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert, who helped draft the ordinance, did not return phone messages left by The State News on Monday afternoon seeking comment.