Manhattan Plaza Tenants Association

MP Riot

Sep 15, 2000

While the MPTA has heard two versions of how it began, one thing is clear, on Monday evening, 8/7/00, there was a riot involving MP residents and non-residents. Whether or not it was gang related is also unclear as reports differ, but they include a version that it was between MP gang members and an outside gang who came to ?“teach them a lesson?”. In addition the weapons involved depends on who you talk to, but baseball bats were definitely used and blood was drawn.
The major portion of the riot took place on the sidewalk and in the courtyard, but a group of 8 to 10 ran into the 484 building and, with baseball bats and still fighting, jumped the turnstiles while Security did nothing to prevent the endangerment of all MP residents. It also appears that there is a connection with some of the rioters and the basketball games with non-residents on the terrace court. One witness to both said that they recognized members playing basketball, the day after, as the same people involved in the previous night?’s riot.