The Perils Of Maintaining Festival Security: Violence At Eastern Electrics 2019

When it comes to implementing safety measures at festivals, the process may sound a lot easier than it actually is. Viable safety solutions may seem like pure common sense, but the issues of safety when the festival becomes a gathering for massive amounts of attendees can make it difficult to keep the peace; especially when alcohol or other drugs are involved. Even with strong safety measures, keeping track of thousands of people is, obviously, an extremely demanding task. 

Unfortunately, this can mean that even with a high level of security, people may still remain unprotected in the face of other patrons. From incidents of sexual assault and various forms of physical violence, trying to pinpoint suspects in a huge, rowdy crowd is an overwhelming task.

Eastern Electrics music festival took place over the past weekend, 3rd and 4th of August in London; where incredible amounts of people gathered at Morden Park, in a celebration of techno and underground house music. Unfortunately, as with many festivals, violence from attendees remained present. Within the space of six hours on Saturday, an alarming four people were stabbed – with the victims being men in their 20s. In a series of videos recorded by a bystander, multiple men can be seen fighting; beginning with two men brawling on the ground, before the victim gets up, runs after the attacker and unfortunately falls to the ground again experiencing further beating by about three men; taking multiple hits to the head. Bystanders did step in, assisting the man in getting medical attention. Yet three more attacks took place on the same day. 

The victims were treated on site and afterward escorted to the emergency unit at a hospital: luckily none of them suffered from severe injuries. However, the aftermath of such violence at a music festival leaves many people shaken, as the outcome could have been a whole lot worse. As stated before, responding to such violence amongst such a huge amount of people is extremely difficult and police have not made any arrests following the incidents, however security was issued to stop and search attendees to prevent any further violence.

In a statement issued to Resident Advisor, the team behind Eastern Electrics confirmed the incidents and shared:

“The police are appealing for witnesses to come forward and asking anyone with information that may help with their investigation to call 101. 

The safety of everyone on the site is our first priority, and we will continue to work closely with the police, local authorities and our security staff to ensure a safe and secure environment at Eastern Electrics.”

If you or anyone you know attended Eastern Electrics and have any information about the suspects, please be sure to contact the authorities to assist in finding the relevant culprits.