Riot Set Off By Beatle Fans in W. Germany
Reuters
June 27, 1966
Thousands of rioting West German fans of the Beatles turned the heart of Hamburg into a battlefield Sunday night as they broke windows, threw tear gas bombs, and caused traffic chaos. Police reinforcements with dogs and loudspeakers barricaded streets around the hall where the British pop group was performing, while ticketless fans roamed the center of West German's largest city.
Appeals for the teenagers to clear the streets were met with a chorus of yells, and police began drenching them with fire hoses. Fans replied with tear gas bombs, and police eventually moved in with dogs and nightsticks to disperse the crowds during the riot.
Teenagers smashed store windows in an elegant shopping center, broke streetcar windows, and tore down trolley wire contacts. An official said 40 youths were arrested by late evening.
By late evening, the city was quiet again as police vans patrolled the streets. The Beatles are at the end of a four-day tour of West Germany
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