Internet users are condemning the slip in the Metro Festival

Just Zaid security guards, tampered with security barriers, noise in the surroundings: Internet users have been inquiring on social networks about several incidents that took place during the Metro Festival in Montreal last weekend.

In some of the videos that have gone viral on Instagram and Tic Tac Toe, festival goers can even be seen entering the site without paying money or fighting. Joined by Destiny, The organizer of the event, Olivier Primeau, condemned the actions and said an internal investigation was underway to shed light on the actions. “These are unforgivable acts. These events are doomed, but we are on it and we are here to improve. ⁇

Oliver Primau believes that the fact that there have been so few festivals at this level in the last two years due to the epidemic has played a role in the frustration of some festival goers. “It simply came to our notice then [ces agissements] “, He said, though.

According to the Public Relations Officer of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM), Véronique Comtois arrested five festival-goers, one for assaulting a security guard and the other for armed assault on a police officer. ., Which is currently under investigation.

Sports journalist Daphne Malboeuf took to Twitter with tears in her eyes to lament the lack of security guards around the festival. “To get home, I walked in the middle of the street, because the sidewalks, the alleys, the lighting was not right,” she said, raising a large number of intoxicated people harassing her as she returned. Home after a day’s work.

“I think it’s relevant for the borough to see the proper functioning of the festival, which is already bothering residents,” she said. However, she emphasized that “it’s a festival that showcases local artists” and that it’s normal to have a lot of noise and a lot of people when you’ve in town. “But not feeling safe going home motivated me to write [les tweets]. ⁇

At the time of writing these lines, Pierre Lessard-Blaise, the mayor’s office of Mercier-Hochelaga-Mysennev, did not respond to our interview requests.

Political reactions

Joined by Destiny, Pierre Lessard-Blaise, borough mayor of Mercier-Hochelaga-Mysannev, explained that the territory of the Olympic Park was not subject to municipal administration. “A pamphlet was sent out a few weeks before the festival to let citizens know that the Olympic Park was responsible for this event and therefore send any complaints to the Olympic Park,” he explained. “I have no authority to say which promoters are welcome on the site. ⁇

Regarding campus management, he said, “We don’t have big calls on cleanliness in the sector” and “when I toured the sector on Monday afternoon, the work was done.”

For its part, the Office of the Mayor of Montreal, Valerie Plante, “Disappointing” some of the audience’s actions over the weekend. “We want to remind those who go to the festival to show good citizenship at all times, for the safety of everyone and respect for the residents near the festival,” journalist Marikim Goudrolt said in a written statement.

She confirms that contingency planning was provided “in good and appropriate form” in the event of overflows prior to hosting the event by the promoter and Olympic Park at the request of the city.

“We consult with managers to decide what can be put in place to prevent this type of overflow,” she adds.

“People are eager to celebrate”

Student Sami Mechanical attended the opening day of the festival last Friday. She said she was never in danger, but according to her, the crowd was unique. “We are coming out of the pandemic and I thought people were eager to celebrate. ⁇

During Friday night’s performance by rapper Lil Pump, she reported that Oliver Primau had interrupted the concert by going on stage to prevent the audience from participating. Mosh Pit, Which can turn violent. A Mosh Pit Cruel dance in the form of members of the group hitting each other, often occurs when the stage is at foot.

“At most festivals, this happens. When we see things moving too much in the foreground, we calm down the excitement,” explains Oliver Primau, who said the organizing committee warned artists of any encouragement. Mosh Pit Their concert will be canceled.

Last November, among other things, led to such group movements Astroworld festival tragedy, In Houston. During the rapper Travis Scott concert, ten people died, suffocated and rode in the crowd, while hundreds others were injured.

Despite this warning, student Sami McNichol decided to skip a song before the end of the final show of the evening. “It was weighed down; Pushing people around you has become a tradition. At least it’s very easy to get out, ”she said.

Olivier Primau is planning a third edition of the festival next year, still in the Olympic Stadium sector, but not necessarily on the Esplanade, believing there could be more space near Saputo Stadium. He said he was confident of the future of the event, which sold out last weekend.

“This is the second year we’ve worked with the site, and there’s already been a big improvement compared to the first year,” he maintains, with plans to increase the workforce next year to limit losses in the neighborhood.

“Having more presence outside the site is very important,” he believes.

To watch in the video