I know that I haven't really been updating as much as we all would like me to, things are just kind of all over the place right now, crazy good and bad, and also not having internet in my room is probably the biggest contributor to the situation, ha ha. But anyway, this entry is not really going to be an over view of how i've been, that'll come soon. But for now I just want to let out the traumatizing events that happened on thursday night.
So I guess to totally understand the situation, you must know that on the avenue that the dorms that I live in are on a street where there are a lot of different bars and clubs down the way. So on Thursday Brittany, the Alexs and I went out. We went to Kool o Loco bar first so that we could get some drinks and not break our pockets (you can't beat $2 bacardi mixed drinks and $1 shots).
From there went across the street to 8 de Blanco to dance and one of the Alex's left us to go home. The dance floor was crowded and the music wasn't that good so we went upstairs cause the girls needed to use the bathroom. From there we met this locals who dared Brittany to take this huge shot, which was supposedly full tequila. And she did it, after she made them buy her a new one that we saw come from the bar so no funny stuff went on. We talked to them for a while, then met up with some other exchange students that we knew, and decided to kick it with them. They needed to go back to their place to get something, so we headed out with them.
After hanging out at their room for a while we decided to hit up this other spot called Boricua, which is kind of like, to me anyways, a big hut with a patio where people were dancing/sitting and drinking and smoking. So we danced a little salsa and talking to locals.
At that point was were I was getting phone calls and text messages saying "Are you okay?" I didn't know what was going on until my other friend Kaitlin from Idaho said they were still in 8 and the police were throwing tear gas at people and pepper spraying them, and she didn't know how to get back to the dorm because everything was blocked off so she asked us to stay at Boricua so we could all go home together. I later found out what started it was that a drunk guy outside of a chinese restaurant got into a fight with a cop and ended up throwing a bottle at the policeman and thats where the chaos started.
We waited for Kaitlin at Boricua and hung out there a while, but it was like past 3 in the morning so we decided to go home. So when we got in front our building, we were still chatting with the guys, there was talk of driving to the beach, and all that jazz but I wasn't feeling it. Then I look into the street and the police are walking down the street in a straight line (It sort of reminded me of the a scene in the movies that after the explosion happens and the protagonists come out of it walking tall that they survived).
I was scared to cross the street in front of the police, but of course i had to get home so i ran quickly. In front my building in like this courtyard area there was a huge crowd. I met up with Treavor which was one of my friends who had texted me are you okay? He was downstairs trying to see what all of the commotion was about. At this point a part of the crowd started chanting at the police "Puerco!" "Brutos!" and some other chants that I didn't really understand since it all happened so fast.
At that point they threw another can of tear gas in the street sort of to the side of the builiding. Thats when Treavor and I started running inside, and they threw another can at the building. Then they pulled out their beanbag guns, and we heard a few shots.
While waiting in the lobby pretty scared this guys comes in running carrying this girl, whos legs are full of blood and his arms and hands are full of blood, they put her down on a chair and she has a huge hole in her leg. The guy after putting her down on the row of chairs dropped to his knees and broke down crying. And at that point i really wanted to cry too, cause when I saw her in his arms I thought that she was dead. The paramedics came soon, and just took her on the row of chairs that they placed her down on.
I met up with Brittany again who had gone to walk around away from the commotion before the tear gas and the bean bag guns. And we decided to go upstairs. I went to her floor and told her everything I saw, and we were both pretty freaked out. After a little while of watching from the window, what was going on, it was already past 4 o'clock, so I went to my room.
It was definitely hard to sleep that night. I mean its hard for me to get my mind around the concept that we're running scared from the people that are supposed to be protecting us. Keep in mind that everything said in this blog is my opinion and take it for what it is. I am not saying that I am right or the final word, this is just a place to express my thoughts. But I really think that they went too far. The tear gas that they were throwing at 8, wasn't just one to get people to calm down in was like an attack, 10 or 11 cans, pepperspraying whoever. Treavor said that he saw 5 cops beat down 1 guy. And then the whole commotion in front of the dorms. We don't have AC in our building so most of the people have their window open. So those facing the street got the tear gas too even though they were in their rooms innocently sleeping. And of course I'll never forget the sight of the bloody girl being carried into the buiding.
I'm not putting the entire blame on the cops. I think that if there wasn't chanting at them in front of the building, the last part probably wouldn't have happened. But what happened was pretty extreme. There is definitely a power struggle going over here. Actually the police aren't allowed on campus because of a previous riot years ago where a girl was killed.
So for now, we walk the streets in fear? Yes and no, its a matter of wrong place at the wrong time. I am so glad that someone was watching over me and put me out of harms way that night. So I am going to take a deep breath, and still enjoy the time i have en La Isla del Encanto.
~Cat
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