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Astroworld: 5 minutes to figure out what Travis Scott and Drake risk after deadly crowd move

2021-11-08T16:01:44.405Z


A legal action has been taken against rappers Travis Scott and Drake, accused of causing a crowd movement at a fest


Canceled last year due to Covid-19, the Astroworld festival in Houston, Texas, was expected to produce a memorable edition this year.

But the evening turned tragic: a crowd movement roamed the pit on Friday evening during a performance of rapper Travis Scott, killing at least 8 and injuring dozens.

Legal action has been taken against the artist, accused of having stirred up crowds.

What legal consequences could this entail and what does the singer actually risk?

Explanations.

What happened ?

The facts began around 9:15 p.m., according to the BBC.

The atmosphere is electric.

Thousands of people crowd in front of the stage, where the rapper Travis Scott, also founder of the festival born three years ago, performs under the spotlight.

Caught in the commotion, spectators jostle, fall, step on each other.

Some pass out, "creating further panic," describes Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena.

“Breathing had only become possible for some.

The others were suffocating in the hot, thick air, ”reports a young woman present that evening in the pit.

Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena at a press conference in the aftermath of the tragedy.

(Alex Bierens de Haan / AFP) 2021 Getty Images

In full performance, Travis Scott, joined by rapper Drake on stage, would have stopped several times, seeing some fans in distress, specifies the Houston Chronicle.

According to the local newspaper, the artist allegedly asked security to help these people by getting them out of the crowd, while making sure they were okay.

But several videos shared online show the artist continuing his performance during the evacuation of several victims.

The majority of those sent to the hospital are barely in their twenties.

The day after the concert, the authorities will deplore 8 dead and dozens of injured.

What suites?

Two days after the tragedy, proceedings were initiated against the two artists, accused of having excited the pit.

Behind the complaint, Kristian Paredes, a young man of 23, "seriously injured" during the concert.

For the Texas resident, who is also suing the concert organizers, "several people begged security guards for help, but were ignored."

The lawsuit, filed in court in Houston, also accuses rapper Drake of contributing to this crowd movement by going on stage.

For now, the Houston police have announced the opening of an investigation to determine the causes of the tragedy, specifying that they were examining the video footage of the evening.

Organizers and witnesses are preparing to be questioned.

“For the investigators, the priority will first be to check the security system put in place that evening.

Were the numbers sufficient or not?

Where does the flaw come from?

», Specifies to the Parisian, Haywood Wise, Franco-American lawyer.

According to Houston Police, 367 police officers and 241 security guards were on hand all day for an event that had ... no less than 50,000 attendees.

What do artists risk?

It is still difficult to know precisely what these lawsuits could entail.

The only certainty is: “Texas law will apply, and compensation for bodily injury will result in disproportionate costs.

Several million euros are at stake, ”said Terence Richoux, Franco-American lawyer at the Paris bar.

In the immediate future, the artists risk being arrested and could be the subject of an investigation for "criminal negligence, that is to say a crime in the third degree whose sentence goes up to 20 years of prison", adds Méhana Mouhou, lawyer specializing in the repair of personal injury, settled for several years in the United States. “The sentence will depend on the charges retained and the potential aggravating circumstances. But if their guilt is established, it is likely that an amicable agreement will be negotiated to avoid the defendants going to prison, ”adds the council.

The challenge will still be to determine whether or not there was a "clear incitement to riot".

Because this offense of provocation to rebellion remains difficult to establish "in a country where freedom of expression constitutes the First Amendment of the Constitution", recalls Haywood Wise.

What precedents?

The fervor and energy produced at Travis Scott's concerts is nothing new. Just like the more or less serious overflows they cause. The 30-year-old artist and producer has already been accused of inciting his fans to override security measures to join him on stage, even if it means causing serious injuries. In 2017, he was arrested after inciting his fans to riot during a concert in a Walmart shopping center in Arkansas. Several people, including a security guard, were injured as the artist encouraged his admirers to join him on stage. After pleading guilty, he had to pay more than $ 7,000 to the injured, according to the local newspaper Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

A few months later, a new incident took place in New York.

One of his fans, Kyle Green, 23 at the time of the incident, fell from the 3rd floor of a concert hall where the artist was performing that evening.

Galvanized by the crowd, Travis Scott had encouraged those on the balcony to jump into the pit, according to the

New York Times.

Four years after his fall, Kyle Green remains partially paralyzed.

Now moving in a wheelchair, the young man has taken legal action against the rapper, his manager and the security company which covered the event, accusing them of "recklessness".

A case still under investigation.

"It is obvious that these incidents will be one more piece to add to the case and could increase the penalty, just like the damages claimed after the tragedy in Houston", warns Méhana Mouhou.

Source: leparis

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