Thousands of students at Penn State rioted Wednesday night after the university announced the firing of head football coach Joe Paterno. The move came after this week’s news that Paterno had failed to contact police or follow up when he learned his former assistant coach was caught molesting a young boy in the school’s locker room.

Thousands of students left the university and hit nearby streets to display their anger and frustration. They chanted  the former coach’s name, tore down light poles and turned over a television news van parked along College Avenue, New York Times reported.

In the midst of that were a few courageous students challenging their classmates to re-consider their support for Paterno. "If we’re going to be responsible students or responsible members of our families, we must hold our leaders accountable, we must ask questions," said a Penn State student addressing a crowd of students before him.

"We can’t give [Paterno] a free ticket out of this, it sucks, but he’s a apart of it," the student said amid boos from his peers.

Video below, along with a second clip of a student with similar sentiments who made it on national TV.