LONDON (AFP) — British police arrested 17 people and shut six stations as thousands of people joined a party on London's Underground train system late Saturday, hours before an alcohol ban took effect, they said.
There were chaotic scenes as drunken revellers jammed stations, fought, vomited on platforms and damaged trains.
The party, organised via Internet social networking sites like Facebook, was prompted by new London mayor Boris Johnson's alcohol ban on public transport, which came into effect Sunday.
"At first the atmosphere was happy but anarchic, defiant. People had party hats on, they were having a good time, but were so drunk," said photographer Desmond Fitzgerald, 48.
"When I got on the train it was worse than rush hour, and with every station it went through more and more heavily drunk people seemed to be getting on.
"Then a fight broke out between about five people, but because we were so tightly packed in, it soon spread throughout the carriage...
"The atmosphere had really changed by this point. People were ripping off adverts and maps and being sick all over the place."
British Transport Police said that, in addition to the arrests and closures, four train drivers, three other Underground staff members and two police officers were attacked.
A spokesman said there was a "large amount" of disorder reported and "multiple instances of trains being damaged". The Circle Line, which serves the centre of London, was shut down for a time.
Thousands of people signed up for the party on Facebook sites with names like "The Booze Tube" and "One Final Tube Booze Party" and wrote afterwards of how much they had enjoyed the party.
"What a night...one party to never forget, UP YOURS BORIS," said one partygoer.
Another added: "Thanks guys to everyone who came...everyone else - you missed out beyond belief...one of the most historic nights of my life."
Johnson says banning alcohol on London's trains and buses will help travellers feel safer and cut anti-social behaviour but opponents question whether there will be sufficient resources to police it.
The issue of binge drinking is high on the political agenda in Britain, where politicians are particularly concerned about the amount consumed by young people.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government announced new proposals to tackle the issue, including possible prosecution of parents who allow their children to consume alcohol.
Home Office figures show 21 percent of 11-to-15-year-olds drink regularly and that the average amount consumed by persistent young drinkers has doubled since 1990.
According to official figures published last year, there are an estimated 7.1 million "hazardous and harmful drinkers" in Britain, which has a population of around 60 million.
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