Halloween “Riot,” October 31, 1975

Halloween photo from Buccaneer
Image Source: Buccaneer, 1976

The fall 1975 Halloween upheaval and surrounding events was voted, by the Fountainhead, the news story of that year. The staff agreed the melee and its aftermath had, all said, the biggest appeal to and impact on the student body. Other contenders were student fees, the death of legendary coach Clarence Stasavich, and the ECU medical school. The downtown Halloween disturbance, initially called a “riot,” was declared “the stopper,” one that elicited debate, commentary, editorials, numerous letters to the editor, and headlines statewide. A front-page regular, the incident prompted new levels of SGA involvement in campus-community relations, city government, and police protocol. For better or worse, the 1975 Halloween incident helped establish the ECU “tradition” of downtown Halloween celebrations, including ones leading to, notoriously, unruly and occasionally riotous behavior. Perhaps worst of all, the incident contributed to the school’s reputation, for decades to come, as a rowdy party school.

The widely-reported “riot” erupted in downtown Greenville, between Fourth and Fifth Streets at their intersections with Cotanche Street, not far from the Elbow Room and the Attic, two popular late-night bars. Reportedly, at midnight a crowd of some 500 people, many of whom were identified as ECU students, overflowed into the streets, blocking traffic. According to Greenville police chief Glenn Cannon, officers instructed the crowd to disperse, and allowed five minutes for that to occur. When that did not happen, additional police, sheriff’s deputies, and SBA officers were called in, outfitted in riot gear. Before the evening was over, 44 Greenville police, four ABC officers, and five sheriff’s deputies were deployed to deal with the crowd. To disperse the crowd, pepper gas and tear gas canisters were launched at those congregated. Some of the gas found its way into the clubs, causing pandemonium.

Although accounts vary, students claimed that violence had not occurred prior to the gas attacks. With the gas attacks, some students were injured when hit by the flying canisters. Rocks and bricks were then thrown by the crowd, some injuring policemen, others breaking police car windows, and yet others crashing through merchant windows. Some looting occurred. Damages estimated at $4,000.00 resulted.

Before the evening was over, Greenville police and Pitt County sheriff’s deputies had arrested 57 people, including 30 students, for inciting a riot, failing to disperse, and damaging property. Those arrested were taken to the Pitt County jail. Most were released the following afternoon. One student, Gwenn McDonald, was hit in the face by a canister and badly injured. She was released from Pitt Memorial Hospital nearly a week later, on November 5. Photographs of the substantial blood stains resulting from McDonald’s injury at the corner of Fifth and Reade Streets were published on November 6 in the Fountainhead.

After launching an extensive investigation into what happened, the SGA concluded that the police had overreacted to the gathering and so asked that Greenville police chief Glenn Cannon be removed from his post and replaced with someone “of high professional standards who believes in the use of preventative action and who has the respect of the entire community.” The SGA also asked the city to suspend charges of rioting made against students. The SGA, many students and alumni, charged that the police, at Cannon’s command, had dealt with the situation poorly, making an unpleasant disturbance worse by launching pepper gas and then tear gas indiscriminately at a late-night, already rowdy crowd. When Greenville city officials did not suspend rioting charges against students, the SGA, on November 17, approved a proposal for a student boycott of downtown businesses beginning December 9.

Letters poured into the Fountainhead and other newspapers commenting on the Halloween riot. Merchants regretted the incident and claimed that the police overreacted. Some alumni also concluded that the police overreacted. One student, Bob Tyndall, said that the riot was a disgrace to ECU students. Tyndall's letter was met with much opposition, as was a letter printed in the Daily Tar Heel declaring that ECU students had no "class." ECU had, incidentally, just weeks prior, defeated the Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium for the first time ever. Pirate elation over the victory perhaps fueled the high spirits evident in the Halloween incident. There was also a letter from 74 Greenville Police Department police and employees supporting Chief Cannon. Other letters criticized the Fountainhead for sensationalizing the incident.

On November 21, the situation was largely defused when District Court Judge Charles Wheless dismissed 24 felony charges and 23 misdemeanor charges. Also, the city indicated its willingness to revise police protocol in dealing with such situations. In response to these moves, the SGA called off its planned boycott of Greenville merchants. As the holidays approached, a new atmosphere of reconciliation replaced the animosity and confrontational spirit that had earlier prevailed.

Greenville police never again responded so callously to even unruly crowds celebrating Halloween in downtown Greenville. In January 1976, ECU alumnus and activist lawyer Jerry Paul traveled from California to meet with students about a possible class action law suit against the City of Greenville. The message was clear: ECU students needed to be treated with respect and dignity, even when misbehaving. Six years after Kent State, the 1975 Halloween riot ended relatively well, with students empowered rather than shot dead.

Sources

  • “1975 top news stories selected.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 25. January 6, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40011
  • Bittner, Susan. “Students Testify.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 19. November 13, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40005
  • “Boycott Of City Business Voted By ECU’s SGA.” Robesonian. November 18, 1975. P. 9.
  • “Boycott Plan Is Called Off.” Statesville Record and Landmark (Statesville, N.C.). December 12, 1975. P. 3B.
  • Campbell, Kenneth. “SGA denies boycott approval.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 21. December 9, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40007
  • Campbell, Kenneth. “SGA refuses to rescind Cannon removal proposal.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 19. November 13, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40005
  • Campbell, Kenneth. “Students comment on police role in ‘riot.’” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 23. December 16, 1975. P. 13. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40009
  • “Chief Cannon Releases Statement.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 17. November 6, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40003
  • Coyle, Pat. “Bar owners confer on disturbance.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 8. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • “Crowd Gassed By Policemen in Greenville.” High Point Enterprise. November 1, 1975. P. 18A.
  • Dodson, Jim. “Off the Cuff exclusive: The Chief Speaks; ‘We sure had a riot last night.’” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 14. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • “ECU alumnus thinks cops reacted badly.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • Elliott, Jim. “Eight ECU students Injured in gas attack.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 6, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • Elliott, Jim. “Jenkins Reacts.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 17. November 6, 1975. P. 5. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40003
  • Elliott, Jim. “SGA votes for Cannon’s removal.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 18. November 11, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40004
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  • “Halloween Violence.” Rocky Mount Telegram. November 1, 1975. P. 1.
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  • Johnson, Kim. “Professors comment on student role in ‘riot.’” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 23. December 16, 1975. P. 12. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40009
  • “Merchant thinks police overreacted.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 20. December 4, 1975. P. 7. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40006
  • “Mystics and Politics the subject of lectures.” Buccaneer. 1976. P. 77. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15327
  • “Ouster Bad Suggestion.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 19. November 13, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40005
  • Perry, James and Kent Johnson. “ECU will not discipline arrested students.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 8. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • Perry, James. “Mayor West Comments On ‘Friday.’” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 17. November 6, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40003
  • “Police action upsets alumnus.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 17. November 6, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40003
  • “Police support chief.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 18. November 11, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40004
  • “Position of Greenville paper attacked.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 17. November 6, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40003
  • “Riot erupts in downtown Greenville.” Buccaneer. 1976. Pp. 10-11. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15327
  • “SGA boycott threat served purpose.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 20. December 4, 1975. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40006
  • “SGA group investigates riot statement.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 17. November 6, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40003
  • “SGA riot investigation resolution passed.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • “SGA votes downtown boycott.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 20. December 4, 1975. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40006
  • “Student Disagrees With Dodson Column.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 18. November 11, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40004
  • “Student thinks police action ‘stupid.’” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • “Students should have fought harder.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • “Students Seek Ouster Of Chief.” Daily Times-News (Burlington, N.C.). November 11, 1975. P. 2B.
  • “Tear Gas Incident Noted.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 20. December 4, 1975. P. 6. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40006
  • Tozer, Tom. “Halloween crowds block Cotanche.” Fountainhead. Vol. 6, no. 18. November 4, 1974. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/39945
  • Tyndall, Bob. “Incident Disgrace to ECU Students.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 16. November 4, 1975. P. 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40002
  • Woodard, Helena. “City Council meets in special riot hearing.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 19. November 13, 1975. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40005
  • “Writer thinks Carolina has more class.” Fountainhead. Vol. 7, no. 20. December 4, 1975. P. 6. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/40006

Additional Related Material

Buccaneer, 1976, page 10

Buccaneer, 1796, page 10

Buccaneer, 1976, page 11

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Buccaneer, 1976, page 292

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Halloween "Riot" cartoon, Fountainhead, November 4, 1975

Halloween "Riot" cartoon, Fountainhead, November 4, 1975

Citation Information

Title: Halloween "Riot," October 31, 1975

Author: John A. Tucker, PhD

Date of Publication: 2/7/2020

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