California students arrested after fights involving at least 400, police say

The school week ended Friday at a California high school in a big rumble.

Large groups of teens clashed outside Berkeley High School in downtown Berkeley in fights that drew hundreds of onlookers and a large police response, and led to five arrests.

Cops stayed busy for nearly an hour trying to restore peace after students and non-students brawled with each other when the dismissal bell rang at Berkeley High.

Three Berkeley High students and two Berkeley Technology Academy students were arrested during the melees, the Daily Californian reported.

Berkeley High principal Kristin Glenchur told parents in an email the fights numbered up to 20 and that approximately 400 to 500 students and non-students were on the street or involved in the fighting, Berkeleyside.com said.

“An increased number of non-students, in part because other school districts are on spring break this week, were observed around campus after lunch and BHS administrators and safety staff were vigilant in not allowing non-students on campus,” Glenchur said.

Despite the brawling, the principal told parents the school did not see an immediate impact on normal school operations for the week starting Monday.

A Berkeley Police spokeswoman, Officer Jennifer Coats, told the website officers responded after school staff reported the possibility of trouble.

“After school let out at 3:20 p.m. a large group of approximately 100 gathered in the downtown area. Small fights would break out and the group would travel from block to block. Several people from the group were jumping on vehicles and filming the altercations,” she said.