Campus emergency alerts not sent during most destructive protest

By Liz Navratil and Estelle Tran / News Editor and Assistant News Editor

published: Sun, 27 Sep, 2009

Pitt Police used the Emergency Notification Service to warn students twice on Friday and once on Saturday, but did not use it Thursday — the only day that there were official G-20-related events scheduled in Oakland and the day that saw the most vandalism.

People began assembling by Schenley Plaza around 4 p.m. Thursday to see President Barack Obama’s motorcade. Around 6:30 p.m., police deployed riot-control gas for the first time that week in the plaza.

There were about 1,000 G-20 Summit demonstrators and onlookers on Thursday and between 100 and 200 in Schenley Plaza on Friday.

Some attendees, like Pitt student Michael Ramella, said they wished they would have received a notification from the University before venturing out on Thursday.

“If we knew there were riots, we never would have left our friend’s house and tried to walk home ... had it been used like Friday and Saturday nights, innocent people who never even wanted to be onlookers to the riots would not have left their homes,” Ramella said in an e-mail.

Pitt police Chief Tim Delaney explained why he enabled the emergency notification system on Friday.

“We could not have what happened [Thursday] night,” he said. “We wanted to let the students know we had trouble.”

Pitt freshman Darren Krieg said that he received two text messages on Friday.

The first message, sent at approximately 7:28 p.m., said, ”G-20 disturbances may continue tonight. Be careful. Exercise good judgment. Safety tips available at my.pitt.edu.”

The second notification, sent by 10:05 p.m., said, “Conditions may be deteriorating in Oakland. Students are advised to remain near their residences.”
Krieg didn’t take the advice.

“I kind of had my heart set on going out and seeing what everything was about [Friday night],” he said. “I was interested to see what everyone was putting together, whether it was going to live up to the hype.”

Pitt sophomore Kendra Siegel said she assumed there would be demonstrations on Thursday but appreciated the notification text on Friday. Though it didn’t keep her from going to a friend’s house in South Oakland, she said it kept her away from Schenley Plaza.

Delaney said he thought the notification system was helpful, adding that most of the complaints he received were from people who didn’t know what was happening Thursday and wanted police to start notifying people.