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Keene, N.H., police seek help in identifying alleged rioters

Hoping to identify suspects from the riots that followed the annual Keene Pumpkin Festival last weekend, the Keene police have released more than 20 photos of young people committing criminal offenses.

The ruckus, which sent numerous people to the hospital, included people ripping street signs and lampposts from the ground, flipping a car, and setting several fires. Police responded in SWAT gear, with K-9 units, Tasers, tear gas, and pepper spray, the Globe has reported, arresting 84 people in the eight-hour standoff.

Keene police released the still photos or screen captures from video clips and are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects, police said in a statement. If identified, the suspects will be arrested and charged, police said. The Globe is working to verify some of the photographs.

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Police asked anyone with information to call detectives at 603-357-9820.

For locals, the incident over the weekend is a considerable black eye for the city, which is known for its postcard-cute Main Street and its beloved festivals, particularly the main event on the city’s calendar, the Pumpkin Festival.

On Monday, as the city got back to normal, there was much head-shaking as residents dealt with TV satellite trucks set up on Central Square and the idea that Keene had become a national joke: the city where they had the riot at the Pumpkin Festival.

The concern now for the Pumpkin Festival, which this year had over 60,000 people in attendance, is whether it has grown too big to continue.


Kiera Blessing can be reached at kiera.blessing@globe.com.