Wireless Festival crowds ‘forced to climb over fences to avoid being trampled’ after being ‘funnelled through narrow Finsbury Park entrance by police’
- People headed to Wireless Festival have been surrounded by police by entrance
- Festival-goer said people were being ‘trampled’ in crowd outside Finsbury Park
- Others were fighting to ‘climb over fences away from the shoving’ outside event
- It is believed that there is a ‘singular entrance’ to the event, causing the build-up
- Were you in the Wireless Festival crowd? Email [email protected]
Wireless Festival crowds were ‘forced to climb over fences to avoid being trampled’ after being funnelled through a narrow Finsbury Park entrance by police, on their way to the event.
Were you in the Wireless Festival crowd?
Email [email protected]
A crowd can be seen pushing against officers, who appear to be trying to manage its movements on Seven Sisters Road in a video shared on social media.
The event will host Nicki Minaj this evening, with SZA and Cardi B having performed on Saturday and Friday respectively.
Festival-goer Elia Morrow said on Twitter: ‘On the last day of a major festival, surely the Met Police should have been more prepared for crowds.
‘Having only the smallest opening at the singular entrance to Finsbury Park, with no regulated flow of pedestrian traffic. People being trampled and forced to climb tall gates.’
They added that people were fighting to ‘climb over fences away from the shoving’, with others in the crowd ‘crying and having panic attacks’.
A spokesperson for the Met Police said that people were stopped from entering the site ‘briefly’ after a small number tried to get through while others were queuing.
They said this pause caused a crowd to build up, with police officers assisting event security.
A woman is helped over a fence as others attempt to climb over it in Finsbury Park, London
Festival-goers climb over a fence to reach Wireless Festival, amid a heavy police presence
Police officer stand tightly against a wall as crowds are pressed up against them
Event-goers make their way through the gated entrance to the park in London
Police officers stand at one of the chained shut gates into the park
Crowds gather as they are funnelled through a small gate into Finsbury Park
Officers stand at the gates as event-goers crowd towards the park entrance
Officers line an entrance, as people make their way into the park for the festival
Festival-goers make their way into Finsbury Park, overseen by police officers
Large crowds could be seen gathered outside the park entrance, arriving for Wireless Festival
Two rows of police officers stood infront of the crowd as it grew
A police officer is on his radio as a line of officers block crowds from moving in certain directions
Police could be seen on horses next to a police van, as crowds grew for the festival
Officers rode down the street on horses as part of the crowd management
Police arrive as big queues form at the entrance to Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in London
Police officers stand in the road as the crowds gather for the festival
Officers linked up and created a barricade against the crowd, outside Finsbury Park, London
A crowd of people could be seen behind officers, with one person saying that there was no regulated pedestrian flow to reach the festival
A crowd can be seen pushing against officers, who appear to be trying to manage its movements
‘We see no help from the people who are supposed to protect us,’ they added.
Another attendee said that they had been stuck outside the venue for hours.
‘People passing out, dehydrated, abused by police with horses,’ they said.
All passengers have also been asked to immediately leave Finsbury Park underground station, due to a reported emergency.
A woman stares in shock at the crowd before her as they are held back by police officers
Traffic also began building up in the Finsbury Park area this afternoon
In a video on social media, a tannoy announcement can be heard urging passengers to leave, as the gates are semi-closed across the entrance.
Paula Tucker criticised the event organisation on Twitter.
‘Finsbury Park utterly unsuitable for Wireless Festival — park gates shut, tube station closed, helicopter overhead for an hour,’ she wrote.
‘Haringey Council must not ignore the needs of residents and let this event ever happen again here.’
Another critic added: ‘There needs to be more security at Finsbury Park for Wireless Festival.’
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Force said the issue began at around 3pm this afternoon when ‘a small number of people tried to get through an entrance to Wireless Festival while others were queueing’.
‘As a result of this, security staff put in place a brief hold on people being admitted to the event to ensure the safe flow of people into the site.
‘This caused a large crowd to form in the area around the site.
‘Officers assisted security staff with managing the crowd to keep people safe.
‘We continue to work closely with the event organiser and other partners to prevent further disruption and we thank people attending for their patience, particularly in the hot weather.’
Wireless Festival was also contacted for comment.
Were you in the Wireless Festival crowd? Email [email protected]
Crowds at the main stage at Wireless Festival at Finsbury Park in London
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