Students Upset With Decision To Rescind BU Party Permit

In response to the break-up of a noisy Boston University (BU) block party last weekend that ended with Boston police using night sticks and mace to arrest 50 students, the city has revoked a permit issued in March to a BU social organization for a May 1 block party.

Although BU administrators have allowed the party's planners to use a college gym instead of the planned site of Bay State Road, organizers of the May Day bash are upset with the city's decision.

"I don't think we're getting a fair shake," George Perez-Vega, vice president of the Brownstone Steering Committee, organizers of the event, complained yesterday. "We've been planning this party for three months, and four days before, they tell us we can't have it in the street."

"The city has offered to reinstate the permit if students meet with police to insure there will be no problems with public drinking, loud music, street lifter or sufficient police protection." Deputy Traffic Commissioner Paul Foster said yesterday.

Perez-Vega said he decided to have the party on university property rather than risk another confrontation with police. But he questioned their sudden reversal, saying. "They should have asked us any questions when we applied for the permit."

The police department will deny any future permit requests for block parties that involve similar condition to last weekend's party. Boston Police Captain James McDonald said yesterday, explaining, "Apparently we cannot guarantee public safety at these parties.

Students who attended last week's party said the commotion began when campus police unplugged the band's sound system in response to complaints form neighbors about the noise. After students started to throw bottles on the stage, about 200 police officers were called in to disperse the crowd.

A subcommittee of the BU student government has charged the police with the use of "unnecessarily brutally naked force in dispersing the crowd. McDonald said that so far, police investigations show that no undue force was used.

BU President John R. Silber yesterday, viewed a videotape of last weekend's incident and said. "There will not be a whitewash of the incident. There will be a full investigation."