Death Parade

First EDC and now this. This does no look good at on our community, not at all. It's sad the the only time electronic music festivals get real press coverage is when something goes terribly wrong. No one ever mentions the thousands of events that go off with out a hitch. The tragic death of 19 people at Love Parade, also marks the death of the Love Parade. A festival that originated after the fall of the Berlin wall to celebrate peace, love and happiness. Love Parade founder famed Dr Motte blames new greedy organizers. “It is the fault of the organisers,” he told the Berliner Kurier newspaper Sunday edition. “It is just about making money; the organizers did not show the slightest feeling of responsibility for the people.”

On their now very somber looking website Love Parade issued this statement in German:

Our aim to carry out a happy coexistence of people, has been overshadowed by the tragic accident on July 24, 2010th

Therefore, we finish the live stream to the Love Parade. Our sincere condolences to all family and our thoughts are with those who
need to be fed for a moment.

This now puts the heat on other festivals. Please learn from these tragedies, let these deaths not be in vain! All eyes will be on similar events, LovEvolution, Ultra, and so on.... I'm speaking to you. The last thing the electronic music scene needs is another R.A.V.E. Act.

This leaves us with one big question, What can be done to prevent injuries and deaths at festivals?

• Hire a safety expert, as EDC did
• Have plenty of exits and allow people to move freely with in the venue
• Make sure everyone is of age to attend the event, please always ID
• DO NOT sell over capacity
  
• Have enough security
• Make sure you have adequate amount of paramedics

The low down via Yahoo News:

DUISBURG, Germany – German prosecutors are investigating whether negligent manslaughter was involved in the deaths of 19 people killed in a crush at the Love Parade techno festival.

But amid a clamor of questions about who is to blame, they said Monday they haven't yet identified any suspects.

The tragedy Saturday happened near a tunnel that was the only entrance to the festival grounds in the western industrial city of Duisburg. Police said that, in all, 511 people were injured — one of whom was still in life-threatening condition Monday.

It remains unclear what triggered the panic, but it appears that people trying to escape the surging crowd climbed up a metal stairway in front of the tunnel and then fell into the crowd and were trampled or crushed.

"The investigations are concentrating on the allegation of negligent manslaughter and negligent bodily harm," said Rolf Haferkamp, a spokesman for Duisburg prosecutors. "They are not directed against any concrete person at present."

A union representing German police has blamed organizers and officials in Duisburg. But witnesses also have pointed the finger at police and private security staff, saying the panic broke out after they closed one end of a tunnel — the only entrance — when the festival grounds became too full.

Click image to see more photos of Germany's Love Parade

AP

Police denied that and said they actually opened a second exit to disperse the masses before the accident happened.

At a news conference Sunday, Duisburg officials, police and the organizers provided few answers, frequently deflecting questions by noting that an investigation was under way.

The daily Tageszeitung newspaper's sarcastic front-page headline summed up many Germans' reaction to that: "19 dead — No one was to blame." Berlin's B.Z. tabloid ran a picture of the officials under the headline "Parade of Failures."

One key question: whether the venue, an old freight railway station that local media estimated could handle 300,000 people, was suitable for the event.

German media reported that up to 1.4 million people showed up, although police suggested the figure was likely far lower given that the national railway brought 105,000 people to Duisburg by train in the preceding hours. Since the event was free, the number who attended may never be known.

Der Spiegel magazine reported Monday that the city had sent a letter to organizers limiting the maximum number of people at the grounds to 250,000. Haferkamp, the prosecutors' spokesman, didn't confirm that.

"The area was not large enough right from the start, that's what I think," Duisburg resident Kurt Moczko said. "I just can't imagine how this area should be sufficient for 1.4 million people."

Carsten Schroeter, another Duisburg resident, echoed that sentiment.

"I think it is not right to simply blame the police, because I think the planning ahead of the event should have been different," he said.

The state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Duisburg is located, on Monday ordered flags flown at half-staff on public buildings.

Police said that, of the 283 people who were hospitalized after the accident, all but 43 had been released.

The Love Parade was once a Berlin institution, but was held for the last time in the capital in 2006 after suffering from financial problems and tensions with city officials over cleanup costs.

It started rotating around the cities of the Ruhr industrial region in 2007, though last year's designated host, Bochum — a smaller place than Duisburg — canceled it over concerns that the city lacked the infrastructure to cope.

Organizers said Sunday that the Love Parade will never be held again.

___

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/eu_germany_love_parade_deaths
By DOROTHEE THIESING, Associated Press Writer Dorothee Thiesing, Associated Press Writer –
Associated Press writer Geir Moulson contributed to this report from Berlin.

WARNING : Graphic Videos

Love Parade 2010 - In the middle of chaos

EDC 2010 rush and fence hopping!