5,000 people take over part of national forest for chaotic party, Arizona officials say

[soothsayer]

Link to tweet

?s=21


5,000 people take over part of national forest for chaotic party, Arizona officials say
miamiherald.com
https://t.co/5x8kaotHEb

Snip
Thousands of people converged on Arizona’s Tonto National Forest over the weekend for an “unauthorized event,” wildlife officials said, and mayhem ensued.

Forest Protection Officers out on patrol Saturday night described a “surge of people,” plus cars, RVs and all-terrain vehicles, some driven sober, some not, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

“Over 5,000 people showed up placing the public, Forest Service personnel and first responders at risk,” the service said.

Gunfire echoed from people target shooting “with unknown backstops.”

[Diamond_Dog]

1. Bunch of MAGATs?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

2. Other than the idiots shooting at shit sounds like a pretty decent party

But damn it, nobody invited me.

Now I feel like Dolly Parton in the 2 Doors Down song

[magicarpet]

3. Who were these people ?

Were they affiliated with a specific group ?

[OldCicero]

4. Mormons on spring break?

IDK

[soothsayer]

6. Yahoos who organized on Facebook

[OldCicero]

9. Yup.

DogDamned Fakebook. What a scourge.

People with an off-roading group on Facebook said it was their party, and that they spent the next day cleaning up the wash. Members of the group did not respond to our requests for an interview.

(Mesa District Ranger) Matthew Lane, meanwhile, said the trash pickup isn’t the main concern.

"Not a safe thing. I mean, I’m sure people had fun down there, but people got hurt. People got hurt from this event, and we’re lucky nobody died, so please don’t come and do this," said Ranger Lane.

Officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office say no arrests were made, and at this point, they say they don’t know who the responsible party is.

https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/more-than-5000-people-attend-illegal-party-in-tonto-national-forest

[Raine]

15. At least they cleaned up the trash

but that's not the only mess they made.

[captain queeg]

5. I thought of maybe a Rainbow gathering till the part about guns

But even without guns doesn’t sound like them.

[Lochloosa]

7. My first thought till the ATVs.

[joetheman]

8. Insurrectionists gone wild! They should locked up just like those in DC on Jan 6. They are

breaking many laws. I guess law enforcement does not apply to MAGAs, only to the "libs" especially the minority libs?

[ret5hd]

10. Disgusting. Instead of admiring the beauty...

and grandeur of a piece of nature, DESTROY!

I would like to see the area after they leave. I would bet $1000 to anyone here that “Leave No Trace” was only the FIRST rule they broke. Every national forest has a set of rules...where you can camp, what roads are open at what time of year, etc. Those rules will be in each forests Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM), and other places. They are in place so we ALL can enjoy them. Many national forests contain irreplaceable artifacts. Just because they are FREE to use does not mean you are free to ABUSE them.

People like this disgust me.

[stopdiggin]

12. westerners have some kind of unique ideas about public lands

-- and rules

--- ---

(obviously we're speaking of a 'segment' of the pop -- and, in truth -- we have low lifes (and borderline socios) tearing up parks and irreplaceable history, treasures and assets -- from one side of the country to the other. so the 'westerners' hardly take home all the glory. just their own little 'special' piece of it.)
----- -----

[Cha]

11. Rt Asshole Zombies

[Crunchy Frog]

13. Republican utopia. nt

[Raine]

14. Gee that sounds like fun ... NOT 🙄

I can't imagine anything that I would find less appealing!