Music

Police Break Up Impromptu Memorial For XXXTentacion With Rubber Bullets

The crowd had reportedly been moshing, climbing buildings and jumping onto the top of a local news van.

by Jared Richards  21 June 2018
XXXTentacion

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Content warning: this article discusses sexual and domestic assault.

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A spontaneous memorial for rapper XXXTentacion in LA ended when police armed with riot gear reportedly dispersed the crowd with rubber bullets and tear gas.

According to the Los Angeles Times, an estimated 1,000 people gathered Tuesday night on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue to mourn the 20-year-old rapper (real name Jahseh Onfroy), who died Monday after being shot in Miami.

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Kanye West, Diplo, Louis Theroux And More React To The Death Of XXXTentacion

It’s believed the event was organised by Adam Grandmaison, a music journalist who interviewed XXXTentacion in 2016, where the rapper talked about beating a gay inmate while in prison. He did not obtain a permit for the memorial.

At the beginning of the night, fans paid respects by forming an X with candles in the middle of the street.

As more people became aware of the memorial, the crowd swelled and reportedly began moshing, climbing buildings and jumping onto the top of a local news van. Police in riot gear attempted to disperse the group with tear gas and rubber bullets. According to police, the crowd then threw rocks at them.

The memorial went for approximately three hours, with crowds dispersing by 10.15pm. No arrests were made, though one 20-year-old sustained minor injuries.

XXXTentacion’s death has spurned a variety of reactions. While fans and fellow artists such as Kanye West and Diplo lamented the loss of a young rapper, others are unsure how to express their condolences, given the artist’s long history of multiple alleged accounts of domestic and sexual violence.

As his debut album ? skyrocketed to success last year, XXXTentacion was under house arrest in Florida. In 2015, he was charged with several counts of violence against his ex-girlfriend, including aggravated battery of a pregnant woman, domestic battery by strangulation and false imprisonment.

In a now-edited Instagram post, XXXTentacion’s ex-girlfriend alleged she was “pulled out” of a memorial in Florida.

“He would’ve wanted me there,” she wrote. “I have no fucking words.”

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