Open Facebook invitation leads to birthday party riot

By Arturo Garcia
Saturday, September 22, 2012 20:40 EDT
Dutch birthday riot screenshot 092212
 
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A mistaken setting on Facebook led to a birthday party in Holland getting overrun Saturday, as thousands of party-crashers turned a girl’s Sweet 16 into a riot.

According to EuroNews, the girl mistakenly listed her party as a public event, leading to 30,000 people being invited online and between 3,000 and 5,000 people descending on her home in the small northern town of Haren.

NBC News reported that partygoers were calling the event allegedly called “Haren X,” a play on the title of the 2012 movie Project X, which depicted a birthday party that escalated into chaos.

The town’s mayor, Rob Bats, said 500 officers had to be called to the scene to disperse the revelers, and evacuate the girl and her family. Authorities also said local shops were vandalized and looted, and at least one car was set on fire. Six people were reportedly injured and more than 20 people were arrested.

More footage from the riot can be seen in this video from Reuters, published Saturday.

 
 
 
 
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