When controversial rapper Eminem took the stage at the Gig on the Green concert in Glasgow, Scotland, Saturday, several screaming fans surged forward, injuring 45 people.
Before the Detroit singer’s appearance festival organizers asked the fans to stop surging forward.
The show, which also featured artists such as Marilyn Manson, The Cult, Papa Roach and Queens of the Stone Age, had to be stopped while police removed the injured people, who were then taken by ambulance to two local hospitals and treated for minor injuries. Eminem returned to the stage 30 minutes later, after being told to remain backstage until everyone was safely removed.
In a statement, a police spokesman told CNN.com, “A number of people were removed from the crowd and after it was deemed safe Eminem came back on stage. No one was seriously injured; thankfully, they are all walking wounded.”
The spokesman praised the rapper and his band for helping to quell the situation and asking fans to stop moving forward. He said, “Eminem and his band did all they could to help the situation and we are grateful for his support.”
Susan McCarrol, 21, of Glasgow told the Associated Press, “I was near the front and it was really scary. There was this mad surge of people and they kept moving forward. When it got too bad we just moved out of the way and decided to leave.”
Another fan, Stuart Ward, 26, told AP that he and his two friends also moved away because of the surging crowds. “We all wanted to see Eminem because it is not everyday that a star like him comes here,” he said. “But it got just a bit too much.”
The controversy didn’t end there. Earlier in the day, various religious groups protested the concert and its two main attractions–Eminem and especially Manson-for their ultra-violent content in their shows. The groups handed out leaflets to the music fans.
One group’s spokeswoman, Geraldine Green, a teacher in Glasgow, told CNN.com, “We are all responsible for protecting our children, but child protection goes beyond pedophilia. We should not be allowing the exposure of young minds to people like this.”
