Sweet 16 Facebook party invitation stirs riots

NETHERLANDS — Hundreds of police confronted rioters in a small Dutch town where a 16-year-old girl's birthday party invitation on Facebook spawned a large gathering that turned destructive. People descended on, and trashed, a small Dutch commuter town after a teenage girl posted news of her 16th birthday party on Facebook. The message went viral, reaching more than 30,000 people.




There were 34 arrests and many others were taken to area hospitals, many injuries were from flying glass, after the uninvited party-goers tried to break through a cordon of 500 police, including 250 riot police, who closed off the street to the girl's home in Haren, 93 miles northeast of Amsterdam.

At least one car was set on fire, the local Albert Heijn supermarket was broken into and looted, dozens of business premises had their windows broken, street furniture was damaged, and the police fought running battles with rioters before order was restored early on Sunday morning.