UNC community members rushed Franklin Street Saturday night following the men’s basketball victory against Duke, failing to follow Town of Chapel Hill and university leaders’ requests.

Moments after the final buzzer in Tar Heels’ 91-73 win over the Blue Devils, students and community members headed to the intersection of Franklin Street and Columbia Street, a regular tradition following such victories. Town of Chapel Hill and UNC Police officers worked to contain people to the sidewalks to prevent traffic from being blocked.

Some members of the crowd, however, continued to gather in the street. Police moved people back to the sidewalks three separate times, with the final one coming around around 8:50 p.m.

The increased law enforcement followed revised preparations from the town government and UNC after a similar gathering occurred in February, when a larger crowd gathered at the intersection. The university later said the event violated its community standards set to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and said the more than 300 referrals of alleged violations by individual students would be investigated. As of Saturday, UNC has not publicly shared how many referrals had been resolved.

Ahead of Saturday’s game, university officials and student leaders shared messaging requesting students to practice safety by not gathering to watch the game with large indoor crowds or by rushing Franklin Street.

Police continued to direct traffic flow on Franklin Street and Columbia Street in the minutes after the crowd dispersed. Chapel Hill Transit shared the J and NS routes would not run past 8:50 p.m. due to the disruption on Franklin Street.

 

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