MADISON, Wis., Oct. 31 -- Police in riot gear used pepper spray early Sunday to clear thousands of Halloween revelers out of downtown Madison after members of the crowd started a small fire.
Officers arrested 250 people, mostly for city ordinance violations, police spokeswoman Emily Samson said. Last year, more than 300 people were arrested.
In Boulder, Colo., SWAT teams arrested 18 people wearing Halloween costumes for throwing rocks and bottles at police. Officers had been sent to check reports of underage drinking in a crowd of about 1,500.
In Madison, the crowd for the annual party that attracts college students from Wisconsin and elsewhere peaked at about 75,000 shortly after midnight. By 1:30 a.m., about 5,000 people remained, police said.
As officers on horseback tried to disperse the crowd, some revelers threw objects, started fights, lit a small fire on the ground and set off firecrackers and smoke bombs.
Some windows were broken, but there was no serious property damage, Samson said.
Police made about 160 arrests the previous night when an estimated 20,000 people gathered.
