by Ellie Fletcher – International Affairs Editor
The tragic events at Travis Scott’s Astroworld concert that claimed the lives of eight people have sparked the question of whether more needs to be done to keep people safe? It is the role of the public to rally their elected officials and force the conversation of making concerts safer. The United Kingdom is the perfect example of how tragedy can change protocol to ensure safety. The Hillsborough disaster in 1989, where ninety-six Liverpool football club fans died after being involved in a crush during an FA Cup game, resulted in all standing at football stadiums being banned. This demonstrates the importance of the Government stepping up to ensure its citizen’s safety during all events.
On November 5th, 2021, a similar crush took place at the Astroworld festival as Travis Scott and Drake were performing. Eight people died as a result of the incident leading to calls for events with large crowds being made safer. Travis Scott has also come under strong criticism for not stopping the concert as fans screamed for help and ambulances attempted to help the injured. Following the event, social media has been abuzz with demands for legislation to make large gatherings safer. People are asking for seating at all concerts and a minimum number of security officers at all events to ensure better crowd control.
It is important to note that the United States does not have a good reputation for creating legislation to ensure safety at concerts. A prime example of this is the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, which claimed the lives of fifty-eight people and remains the deadliest mass shooting in United States history. Despite this, the Government failed to enact any legislation to limit gun violence; this has allowed for more mass shootings.
Following this, people around the world have been left in shock. A large part of the controversy has come from Travis Scott continuing the concert, as well as Kylie Jenner posting on Instagram photos of the concert, including images of the ambulances. This has resulted in people ‘cancelling’ both Scott and Jenner. This, coupled with the calls for safety regulations to be improved, has made waves around the world and will hopefully force other Governments to look into their policies and legislation to ensure security during large gatherings.
Whilst there has been little chatter in Washington concerning concert safety, the continued outrage and shock should lead to further efforts being made to ensure the safety of those attending concerts. Moreover, there should also be a worldwide effect and changes in legislation to ensure better crowd control and so that a similar event does not take place again.
The Gown Online 