SMAR SW Jarocin 93 - Rock behind the steel rails

Will there be "riots" at festivals

Rock behind steel rails

Broken benches of the Jarocin amphitheater and vandalized private music equipment worth many millions and many battered people in street incidents with the police in Brodnica - these are images that, through the mediation of the media, reached the consciousness of the entire public and confirmed the bad myth of rock events last year. Their publicity is certainly fostered by the afterglow of the information of the pickle season. However, last year in terms of escalating violence, growing frustration and aggression at rock concerts was indeed exceptional.

We should expect the next editions of the festival in Brodnica (July 22-31) and Jarocin (August 4-6) with all the more uncertainty. Which is not to say that there must be a repeat of last year's incidents. This would be indicated by the preparations of the police and security agencies responsible for order during the musical events. Although, as those involved themselves say - nothing can be predicted.

Blues breakfast on the grass

Musical Camping in Brodnica has always attracted the most peaceful, peaceful-to-the-world audience. Not everyone could afford to buy a ticket. But this was compensated for by the opportunity to swim in Brodnica's lake, cheap breakfasts on the grass and free - especially at night - access to boats and canoes. Bands performing at the Brodnica amphitheater could also be watched from the rooftops of nearby houses. A year ago the concerts were moved to the park behind the community center. Not far away stood a building slated for demolition. A perfect arsenal of stones. In a tense situation there were clashes, stones and clubs went into action. There were cases of beatings, maimings. Windows were broken in the Brodnica community center and nearby tenements. To date, the Toronto prosecutor's office has not determined who is to blame for the incidents. However, the former charm of Camping has faded irretrievably, and the event itself has been pushed out of the Masurian open air to the "Piano" club room this year. Admittedly, one concert was planned for July 30 at Lake Niskie Brodne. But when the mayor found out that its sponsor was to be the "EB" brewery - he applied to the prime minister for a ban on that day.

- Although fewer rockfans may come to Brodnica this year than before, we are tentatively preparing to send three companies, or 300 policemen, there, says Boleslaw Szpryngel, spokesman for the Regional Police Headquarters in Torun. - We need to protect not only the city, but roads and rail routes. Of course, when it turns out at the last minute that such a police army is not needed in the city, we will reduce it. However, we are ready to redeploy our officers there at any time.

Kielce Fist Grease

The events preceding the destruction of the amphitheater in Jarocin lasted two hours. For the audience that attended it, the reason for the brawl was that the Kielce SMAR SW formation, representing the local anarchist front, was not allowed to compete.

Not without significance was the commercialization of the festival. Both in artistic terms - in the competition and on the main stage, instead of punk, the most frequently presented sound was the recently fashionable heavy grunge - and in organizational terms: the rock audience, which smoked cheap cigarettes, was irritated by the logo of Marlboro, the sponsor, which strengthened the festival's coffers with a substantial injection of money. In fact, however, it is difficult to fully determine the reasons for the behavior of the crowd, with which from the beginning - as in Brodnica - a silent war was waged by festival security agents. The awkwardness of their Jarocin boss was striking. In the end, the encores forced on him and the organizers, by the slightly tipsy punk crew, ended up capturing the stage. The bouncers and punks were separated by a distance that could easily be overcome by a clenched fist or a raised leg. And that distance was overcome.

Rambo - an uninvited guest

Another possible reason for discontent arrived in Jarocin this year. Evening concerts in the amphitheater - and this is where the audience usually camped out all day without money or passes to enter the stadium where the festival stars play - will be paid. And the amphitheater itself is fenced with a double row of "gates."

- Free admission will be only for competition concerts in the amphitheater, each of the three festival days from 10:00 to 16:00," says Adam Grzegorczyk, Jarocin festival director. - The problem of free concerts in the amphitheater is not only a question of who will pay for them, but also take responsibility for security. Therefore, we have decided with the "SEZAM" Security System to create a system of double gates. This will allow the creation of security zones, which will be navigated only by security guards and sanitary services. They will also be evacuation routes. At the entrances, agents will check that the public does not bring sharp objects, alcohol, drugs. This surveillance must be discreet, but visible.

- The main condition we set for the organizer was to install an adequate number of gates - entrances - in the festival facilities, and indeed no money was spared for this," says Piotr Nojszewski of the "SEZAM" Security System. - Also at the stadium, instead of a fence made of slabs, which could have been dismantled, there is now a fence made of steel rails more than 2.5 meters high.

285 "SEZAM" agents will appear in Jarocin in black overalls. However, they will not have batons, handcuffs and electric shock devices or gas.

- Our tactic is to eliminate all possible conflicts before they escalate. We will be picking out the most aggressive individuals from the crowd. Communication between the commanders of the various groups and the command staff will be provided by walkie-talkies. At any time we will be able to decide to send a flying patrol where it will become dangerous. All the time we will inform the police about the situation, who can step in at the moment of greatest danger. We do not underestimate the Jarocin public. We know that those who want to cause brawls are its small margin. Our agents know this and none of them intend to pretend to be Rambo.

There will also be 500 police officers present in Jarocin.

- Every year there have been incidents in Jarocin, but the one last year was the biggest, says Adam Grzegorczyk. - If they happen again, they will become a permanent part of festival folklore.

Jacek Cieślak

• 0 comments
  No comments yet
• write comment 
  comment