A spokesman for Paramount´s Great America theme park in Santa Clara says officials decided to evacuate the park and close early last night after several fights broke out. Gerry Soud represents Paramount Theme Parks. He says several parkgoers suffered minor injuries in altercations during a dance competition sponsored by a local hip-hop and R-and-B radio station.

Some young parkgoers say a fight broke out around 6 p.m. after a huge crowd gathered around the park´s carousel. Soud says the park has not previously been evacuated as far as he knows.