The U.S. Forest Service reported that a crowd of approximately 400 members belonging to the Rainbow Family, a group of unconventional hippie types whose yearly reunions last for a whole week and are held in public areas, attacked Forest Service officers who tried to arrest a member of their group. However, the society refused to give any reason of the initial arrest.

About 60 federal and local law enforcers acted in response to the assault and fired pepper balls, capsules that contain and scatter a pepper solution, at the violent crowd, in order to hold it back.

Nearly 7,000 members of the Rainbow Family gathered this year to attend the meeting held in  Forest Service land, close to the Big Sandy Reservoir.

Linda Burt, executive director of the A.C.L.U.’s Wyoming affiliate, informed the press on Saturday that the institute is considering to accept collect calls from Rainbow Family members for the next two weeks in order to find out their version of events.

Linda Burt expressed her concern when she heard about the fact that Rainbow Family members had been fined for minor traffic infractions. Furthermore, there have also been complaints regarding the officers’ attitude towards the hippies:  the camps were asked whether they were using drugs.

The A.C.L.U.’s reaction will depend on the confessions of the Rainbow Family members. It is possible that the organization may consider sending observers at future hippie gatherings.