Saturday’s soccer match was afflicted by a deadly cocktail of a stadium packed to the brim, violent fans and the use of tear gas by police. Here’s how the disaster could have been avoided.
The last few decades have reminded us just how deadly events can be when proper risk management measures are not in place.
(Danny Howe/Unsplash)
People assume event organizers have their best interests at heart, but just like many businesses, organizers often operate on a tight budget and sometimes corners get cut creating disastrous results.
Over the past 50 years, protesters’ voices have found power in unison. But activists and onlookers have increasingly been exposed to new sounds that aim to shatter rather than gather the crowd.
Police officers wearing riot gear push back demonstrators shooting tear gas next to St. John’s Episcopal Church outside of the White House, June 1, 2020 in Washington D.C., during a protest over the death of George Floyd.
JOSE LUIS MAGANA/AFP via Getty Images
The chemical weapon, tear gas, was used in Washington DC, Los Angeles, Orlando and several other cities to control crowds protesting the death of George Floyd. But what is it? Does it cause harm?
Uganda’s security officials have been known to use too much force when dealing with crowds.
Dai Kurokawa/EPA
Sensationalist warnings of further riots abound. But while many social inequalities remain, we can’t say whether more widespread violence will follow.
A police helicopter and a police drone fly over a street march in Baltimore, Maryland, following the April 2015 death in custody of young black man Freddie Gray.
Reuters/Adrees Latif
The use of drones by authorities has increased around the globe. In the US, drones have been used not only for police surveillance and in operations, but also to patrol its southern borders.
Commuters walk the streets after the attacks.
Gareth Fuller/PA
The town of Ferguson, Missouri has now seen ten days of almost nightly disorder following the shooting of black teenager Michael Brown by the police. The decision to bring in the National Guard has not…
Deadmau5: probably does his sums.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
People are very good at moving in time to a beat. When you listen to your favourite song, you will probably find yourself nodding your head or tapping your foot along almost instinctively. And when you’re…
Liverpool and Manchester City pause to remember the dead of Hillsborough.
Peter Byrne/PA
It is the 25th anniversary of the worst sporting tragedy in the UK: the Hillsborough football disaster, where 96 Liverpool fans died at an FA cup semi-final game against Nottingham Forest. As a mark of…
A crowd can be a lot to handle, even when they’re happy.
Dean Lewins/AAP
Handling crowds on major events is a huge challenge for organisers, and the Olympics Organising Committee will be dealing with some of the biggest crowds there are. Simulating such crowds could be one…