A year after the Block Island ferry brawl, passengers sue. Here's what they want.

A group of passengers on the Block Island Ferry during a brawl that broke out following Reggae Fest last summer have filed a federal lawsuit alleging physical, emotional and psychological harm from being "stuck on a ferry for most of an hour in the middle of a large fight involving dozens of people, some wielding deadly weapons."

The suit was filed Tuesday, the first anniversary of the now-infamous incident. As the complaint details, multiple brawls broke out at Ballard's Beach Resort during Reggae Fest, and some of those altercations spilled over onto the docks where attendees were waiting for the last ferry home.

Interstate Navigation, which runs the Block Island Ferry, and Ballard's are listed as defendants, along with the people involved in the ferry brawl.

The plaintiffs – who include residents of Coventry, Warwick, Pawtucket, and Rockland and Lakeville, Massachusetts – are requesting unspecified damages and a jury trial. They are represented by attorneys Jennifer M. Gehringer Puerini of Newport and Joseph M. Orlando Jr. of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

What does the lawsuit allege?

Shortly after the last ferry left the dock on Aug. 8, 2022, "several phone calls received in the police dispatch from people on the ferry stated that someone had a gun [and] a large fight had broken out on the top deck in which multiple people were stabbed," the lawsuit alleges.

One of the 10 plaintiffs believes they heard a gunshot, the complaint goes on to say. It says the plaintiffs "were caught in the middle of the various fights" and that some "had excessive blood spilled all over their person."

"Passengers on the ferry were hanging from the rafters and kicking people, throwing blunt objects and causing severe injuries to other passengers," the lawsuit says. "One of the minor plaintiffs asked his aunt if 'they were going to die'. ... His family wrapped him in a sheet to protect him from any blood."

More: Police detail chaotic scene at Ballard's before fight on Block Island Ferry. What we know.

The lawsuit contends that the final ferry of the night – which had not been scheduled but was added to accommodate the mass exodus of people leaving Ballard's – was short-staffed and didn't have the necessary security for crowd control.

Interstate Navigation failed to prevent unruly passengers from boarding, allowed the ferry to leave the dock while altercations were taking place, and made the trip while over passenger capacity, the complaint alleges.

It also contends that the ferry company did not adequately train staff in how to deal with unruly passengers: One staff member told a plaintiff that they were “19-year-old kids making $14 per hour” and were “just as scared as [the passengers]," according to the complaint.

More: Block Island and Ballard's reach agreement to ban music festivals, increase police

Interstate Navigation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The suit argues that Ballard's was negligent in a variety of ways, including allowing intoxicated people to enter the resort, not having enough security, failing to check IDs and look for weapons on patrons, and "overserving" customers.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Block Island Ferry fight last year spawns lawsuit from passengers