Over 100 Injured at Rock Spectacle

On the weekend of August 6th to 8th, the Beck’s-sponsored Rock Spectacle took place at the Rathausmarkt in Hamburg. Admission was free, and nearly 20 bands performed over the course of the weekend. The turnout for this festival was significantly underestimated in the organizer's planning, as it turned out. Since the area was not fenced off, many visitors brought their drinks in bottles. This contradicted the safety regulations, which only allowed drinks sold in paper cups. However, the mere 30 security personnel were so overwhelmed by the crowds that they could not intervene when more and more bottles shattered on the ground on Saturday evening. In the dense throng, several visitors cut their feet, which were only lightly dressed due to the summer temperatures. In total, over 100 injured individuals had to be treated, including cases of heat-related fainting and even a suspected heart attack. The mostly young, inexperienced paramedics were unable to manage the chaos for a long time. The organizer distances himself from all blame. He claims that bringing glass bottles was prohibited and wants to consider setting up glass containers for next time.