UPDATE: Above, courtesy of the Lakewood Police Department, is a mugshot of one of the arrested brawlers: Alexander Shepherd, 25, from Cincinnati, OH. Also, below,Via WTAM, here’s audio from a few frazzled Lakewood residents as they call 911 during the ruckus.
Four people suffered stab wounds and 20 were arrested in a brawl on Detroit Avenue Saturday evening. An argument between rival hardcore crews associated with metal bands at the Foundry’s Firefest 2014 quickly escalated on the streets of Lakewood.
Eye witness accounts vary, though the fact that it was “really crazy” seems beyond dispute. Jim O’Bryan at the Lakewood Observer was on scene. Shots were fired (into a crowd and then skyward) near the Foundry on Detroit Avenue at Coutant (just west of W. 117th) which alerted Lakewood Police. Cleveland Police also responded. Men with “tattoos and black hoodies” were seen running through the streets with machetes and baseball bats. They’d largely scattered by the time authorities arrived.
On the assorted weaponry:
"Huge machetes, baseball bats…violent weapons you would use in a war," says witness of large Lakewood fight & shooting. Live at 11. @wkyc
— Lynna Lai (@Lynna_Lai) April 20, 2014
Foundry general manager Mark Witherspoon posted Sunday on Facebook that the brawl had everything to do with the “crews” involved and nothing do with the scene.
“This was a CREW RELATED BEEF between FSU and SOSF. This WAS NOT a product of the wonderful scene that we all represent and have built together!!” His post reads. “Most involved in the brawl [Saturday] had no intentions on coming to the show to watch music and had every intention to cause a fuckin ruckus.”
The FSU — “Friends Stand United” — originated in Boston as an anti-racist outfit. FSU members have seen no problem with violence committed against drug dealers and overt racists at hardcore shows. The word “purge” has been associated with their tactics. The group has splintered several times into more general criminal enterprises (among them, the Outlaws Motorcycle Club) and mayhem-making at concerts.
The Youngstown-based SOSF — “Swing on Sight Family” — appears to be just a fighting group, though they’re ostensibly animated by the same anti-racist rhetoric of FSU. Band affiliation at Firefest has not been officially publicized, but members of Race Riot 59, slotted to play Saturday evening, wear SOSF apparel in several of their YouTube videos, notably “Smash Nazis.”
The rest of the Foundry’s lineup that evening, including shows by Ringworm, Death Before Dishonor, and Weekend Nachos, were canceled.
“It’s a shame that a few assholes are about to give a whole new stigma to what aggressive music entails and/or represents in our area,” Witherspoon’s post went on. “The Non-Violent advocates of all forms of music in Cleveland stand UNITED and we DETEST anything otherwise!”
Lakewood police are currently collecting statements from the 20 people they have in custody. Some of them are expected to make court appearances Tuesday.
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2014.
Da fuck did I just read?
More handjobs, fewer machetes.
Any planning for a 2015 Firefest can now get tossed into a trash can.
I guess that fact that they are “anti-racist” justifies their barbaric behavior.
COME TOGETHER, BY JOHN LENNON. HE SEEN IT COMING. DO YOU REALISE WHAT THIS COUNTRY GOVERNMENT IS DOING? ITS WORSE THAN ANYTHING YOU ARE OR CAN DO TO EACH OTHER. THIS COUNTRY IS BECOMING MORE COMUNEST EVERY DAY. THE HIPPY,S THAT SPIT, THREW ROTTEN EGGS, CUSSED THE V N VETS, EVEN THIS COUNTRY TURNED THERE BACKS ON THEM. AND MOST OF THEM WERE DRAFTED, THEY DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE. PEOPLE WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY FREE. THEY WANT TO TAKE OUR GUNS, GIVE OUR JOBS TO NON AMERICANS. THEY HAVE ALREADY UNSECURED OUR BORDERS. REMEMBER 9-11. THEY WANT NON AMERICANS TO VOTE. LETS GET RID OF THE HIPPY’S IN THE SENATE AND CONGRESS.
Of course a handful of assholes have to ruin everyone else’s good time.
I’m not sure this dispatcher could sound any more apathetic and annoyed.
KEEP HARDCORE OUT OF METAL.
These assholes should have had the decency to at least carry on their arranged riot in Boston, not Lakewood.
Does The Foundry have a clearly posted “No firearms” sticker outside the premises? Seeing as a large part of these charges appear to be Concealed Carry Permit Violations. Also, was there not bands and fans specifically from Boston? How did the police manage to only catch the persons from Ohio.
only 1 of those arrested was from Cuyahoga county
And the award for 2014’s most riveting title goes to… Sam Allard!
If they had been black the police would’ve beat the crap out of them – before shooting them.
maybe they were pissed cause a bunch of old shitty metalcore bands were playing
Sosf does a years fest called “summer of hate”. This year it is at the Grog Shop. I wonder if the owner is prepared to deal with gang warfare. If any innocent bystanders are hurt the owner could be held liable because it is known that something like this could happen. I’d hate to lose a venue over stupid shit
@lotustower, that comment is freaking hilarious, i literally burst out laughing just now, lol
These sosf and fsu thugs are just a bunch of white niggers, don’t book their bands, don’t let them take over your scene.
that sosf band crowd deterrent was supposed to play punk rock bowling in vegas this past weekend but say that they couldn’t afford to go due to legal fees. however, a lot of their crew showed up anyway and got involved with a street fight outside the show that crowd deterrent was supposed to play. from what i can see it didn’t concern them at all, but they jumped in and beat this guy down pretty badly. then when their victim was lying on the ground, one of them kicked him in the head as hard as possible. they then all ran off down side streets while taking their crew jackets off to avoid getting identified. the guy wasn’t moving for at least half an hour when the ambulance finally took him away. tough guy scumbags, cowards, fuck these guys. don’t let them play anywhere. it’s 2014 this gang shit in hardcore is weak.
What is really funny….well PATHETIC!,,, they act like they think they are so tough…..but their whole motto is never fight alone..they have to be backed up….but yet they bully others….REALLY.? COWARDS!!!!
The best part is FSU is anti drug, yet their entire Dayton Ohio operation revolves around importing and sell drugs to the region….. lovely folk.
cue99 has that right. These “FSU” idiots are actually just scumbag drug pushers and thieves themselves, that present themselves as anti-drug, anti-racist etc. it’s a front to cover that THEY are the drug pushers and racists. What a joke.