More than 100 people were arrested, and dozens sent to local hospitals after a popular spring break beach party near southern California's UC Santa Barbara turned violent last Saturday.<br /><br />The all-day party, known as Deltopia, attracted 15,000 college and high school students to the beachside community of Isla Vista, which borders the school campus. <br /><br />However, the event began to turn violent at around 8PM, and the violence escalated at around 930PM, when a UCSB police officer was struck in the head with a backpack filled with large bottles of alcohol, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office told reporters, adding that another officer was hit in the face with a brick.<br /><br />Party-goers hurled rocks, bricks and bottles at police, injuring at least six officers. They also pulled off street signs and even started a few small fires. <br /><br />The police released tear gas and "less lethal foam projectiles" to disperse the crowd. The mass of students was eventually controlled by around midnight. <br /><br />In response, UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang in a statement called Deltopia an "unsanctioned event," adding that it "draws crowds from outside the Santa Barbara area" and "is a serious concern for the University." The school will discuss with authorities on how to prevent chaos in the future, he said.
