The Stream

Accusations of racial double standard hit #Pumpkinfest media coverage

Netizens reveal differences in media portrayals of rioters in Keene, New Hampshire, and protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

After violence erupted at a pumpkin festival in the US state of New Hampshire, some online drew comparisons between the mostly-white riots, and ongoing protests in the US city of Ferguson after the killing of an unarmed African-American teen by police.

Hashtags discussing the festival like #PumpkinFest, #PumpkinRiot, #PumpkinSpiceRiots, and #KeenePumpkinFest were tweeted over 60,000 times.

Below is a video of the riot as police forces intervened on the evening of October 18. [Warning: Explicit language is used.]