Zip to Zap - Zap, North Dakota
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 47° 17.207 W 101° 55.455
14T E 278882 N 5241181
Quick Description: Site of only "official" riot in North Dakota history.
Location: North Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 8/8/2007 11:46:37 AM
Waymark Code: WM1ZB1
Views: 179
Long Description:
Originally started because the student president of North Dakota
State University did not have enough money to go to Florida for
spring break. As a cheap alternative he took out an ad in the
student newspaper the "Spectrum" and called the event "Zip to Zap".
The event was picked up by the Associated Press and the event grew.
The event scheduled for May 9-11, 1969 and by Friday night May 9th,
2000 college age students descended upon the small town of Zap. The
event was not fully planned and the town was not prepared for that
many people. The local bars and cafes ran out of beer and the
student took to the streets. When the temperature dropped, the wood
from a vacant building was used to start a bonfire in the middle of
Main Street. The local townspeople asked the the crowd to breakup
and go home and some complied and many did not. The party
atmosphere soon diminished and an a riot broke out, with local
businesses broken into. By dawn 500 National Guardsmen surrounded
the town. Two hundred moved into town and faced the 200 rioters
still up and about 1,000 who were sleeping wherever they were.
There was little resistance and peace was quickly restored. The
"Zip to Zap" fiasco was carried as the lead story for CBC Evening
New that evening.
Type of publication: Television
When was the article reported?: 05/10/1969
Publication: Dakota Datebook NPR
Article Url: [Web Link]
Is Registration Required?: no
How widespread was the article reported?: national
News Category: Crime
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