riots
Aggressive mood at rap festival
After riots at a music festival in Munich, the police increased the number of officers deployed. photo
© Lino Mirgeler/dpa
It should be a big rap festival for tens of thousands of visitors. But from the beginning there were problems at the festival in Munich. Stones and bottles were thrown, people were injured.
Already on Friday, the first day of the three-day Rolling Loud Festival, nine folders were injured, and bottles and stones were thrown. Individual visitors were also injured on the days.
According to the police, a security company withdrew its 65 folders because of the incidents on the grounds of the Munich exhibition center. However, there were several security companies on site, and the missing folders were then filled by the organizer. Because of the incidents, the police had increased the number of officers deployed on Saturday from around 300 to 400.
In the meantime, there was even a cancellation of the event in the room. According to the police spokesman, the mood calmed down from Saturday evening. On Sunday, the concerts continued as planned.
breakwater used
The response to the problems was that additional so-called breakwaters were built into the crowd. With these bars, visitors are separated from each other and separated into groups at major events. According to the police, mats have also been laid on the floor so that concertgoers can no longer pick up pebbles to throw.
The problems started on the first day on the second stage of the music festival. “There were more people in front of the stage than are actually allowed,” said the police spokesman. Ultimately, the city of Munich decided to close this stage early on that day. Two performances could not have taken place there because of that. The program continued on the main stage.
Festival originally from Florida
The Rolling Loud festival took place in Germany for the first time. The festival started in the US state of Florida, later branches developed worldwide, the organizers speak of the largest rap festival in the world.
The organizers were initially unable to comment. However, a spokeswoman announced a “comprehensive press release”, which was not available until early Sunday evening.
In the run-up to the German premiere, the organizers had stated that Rolling Loud had “developed from a modest one-day festival in Miami into a massive, global attraction with numerous events on several continents”. The international success is “proof of the immense global appeal of hip-hop”. The artists Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar and Wizkid were announced as train numbers for the concerts in Munich.