WATCH: Chris Martin and NYPD Assistant Chief Kathleen O'Reilly explain that a fence barrier collapsed at #GlobalCitizen Festival; there were no shots fired: "You're all safe." pic.twitter.com/wiAbyMVjqh
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 29, 2018
• Tonight during The Global Citizen Music Festival in New York's Central Park, a fence barrier fell and thousands scrambled and ran for their lives believing that the sound of the falling fence were gunshots.
• NYPD confirmed that no gun shots were fired and tried calming people down.
• Chris Martin of Coldplay had to go on stage to assure concert attendees nobody was trying to hurt them and NYPD was there to assess the situation and that everyone was safe.
• Seven people were injured, but Police said the injuries were mostly minor with cuts, scrapes, a twisted ankle, and bruised ribs.
• Some concert goers couldn’t quite recover from the scare and decided to go home. Others were upset at how MSNBC and Global Citizen dismissed the crowd and their reaction.
• The concert resumed shortly after with Janet Jackson hitting the stage to deliver a powerful speech.
• Other performers at the festival included Janelle Monáe, Cardi B, Shawn Mendes, and The Weeknd.
#globalcitizen damn shame the simple noise of a gate falling created that panic and fear...
— Tamika Waller (@Meek4343) September 29, 2018
Children, parents, girls and boys thought they might die
The look of shear panic on the faces...ugh
The children shouldn't have to feel that in any situation https://t.co/EcI0LbLYvd
Damn that was scary. 60,000 people around me thought there was an active shooter and ran. America this needs to end now #GlobalCitizenFestival2018#globalcitizen
— Meg (@aboveashes) September 29, 2018
. #GlobalCitizen 1) the noise of the gate and screams of the crowd 2) pulling the Dr and presenters off the stage made it all real 3) the police officers at at least 3 stops along the way out, told me eye to eye to run. So we did. 4) Sirens galore at gate. Don’t blame us.
— Josh Robbins (@imstilljosh) September 30, 2018
A falling grate sounded like a gunshot at #globalcitizen in Central Park and people ran from the park in a panic. There's hundreds of lost shoes all over the place. I showed up after as people were leaving and crying. pic.twitter.com/lvudBGX0LQ
— Jeremy Berman (@Jeremy_A_Berman) September 30, 2018
So for @MSNBC and @GlblCtzn to act like this was just “people getting startled” is complete bullshit. NYPD officers told us to run and #globalcitizen hired security ran too. I’m so furious at the response to this
— ✊🏽🏳️🌈🇵🇷 (@OpenInqueery) September 30, 2018
If you weren’t at the Global Citizen Festival, you have no right to talk crap about the people who ran. You weren’t there so you don’t know the terror of seeing people calling their loved ones, people having panic attacks, and people being tackled. @GlblCtzn#GlobalCitizenpic.twitter.com/plSPtqnUde
— gia (@brigsalicious) September 30, 2018
Afterwards, Jackson made a powerful speech at the festival:
WATCH: Janet Jackson at #GlobalCitizen Festival:
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 30, 2018
"I'm sick, I'm repulsed, I'm infuriated by the double standards that continue to threaten women as second-class citizens. Enough." https://t.co/jjCBrUFuA7pic.twitter.com/sutc2qskPp
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