Fatima Hamdi - Algeria
Algerian newspapers revealed five deaths and dozens of injuries, including four in critical condition, as a result of the stampede at the first concert of rap singer Abdel Raouf Draghi, known as "Solking", at his first concert at the "20 August" stadium in Algiers.
The number of attendees was estimated at 40,000 to 50,000, while 35,000 were expected, according to the official number of tickets sold, reflecting the huge crowd that led to a stampede at one of the stadium entrances where the ceremony took place, despite intensive preparations by the organizers. With about 2,000 police officers in civilian uniforms on the pitch, the ceremony witnessed a state of extreme chaos that led to these deaths and injuries.
Many of the injured were taken to hospital and reported deaths from a stampede at the Solking party. |
The aftermath of the concert has angered the Algerian public on social media, and the demands for the dismissal of the culture minister responsible for organizing the concert have been raised.Two followers noted on Twitter that the popular movement launched on 22 February in Algeria did not result in the number of casualties left by the concert.
Almost no singer wears anything at all his European concerts and in his own bullet-proof vest! A six-month mobility in the numbers of two million people in all the provinces of Algeria did not witness the number of dead and wounded, as I witnessed one night for a concert trivial! |
A representative of the prosecution went to the scene and then to the hospital of Mustafa Pasha, where the victims were evacuated. No official statement has been issued by the Algerian Ministry of Health regarding the incident and the identities of the victims.
The concert, nicknamed Hurricane, is the first for a famous rap singer, who returned home for the first time after his "illegal immigration" to Europe, where he performed many songs and concerts for several years, and is very popular waiting for his first concert.
Historic ceremony
"We are the affliction, the government and the fire, Hadi Ma Ttfash," is a clip from the song "Freedom" by Algerian singer and rapper Soulking, sung by the group "Awlad el Bahja", which young Algerians consider the popular "Song of the Movement," which began on February 22nd. The past in Algeria.
"I announce his support for the movement early and we announce today our support for him because he deserves," said the young people who met Al Jazeera Net hours before the ceremony, who stood in front of the door of the "20 August" in the heart of the capital since the early hours of the day of the ceremony.
Yusuf, Haytham, Osama and the rest of their comrades traveled more than 450 kilometers to reach the capital, gain a ticket and share Solking hours that some may see short but for these young people "historic in their lives."
Moncef Ben Ammar, a student from the city of Batna in the east of the capital, said that Solking was able to be a phenomenon and win the love of millions because of his modesty and his staying in Algeria despite the injustice he suffered previously, as described.
Popular ceremony
Solking chose to hold the concert in the popular district of Belouizdad in the heart of Algiers at the 20 August stadium, said Kawtar Belalia, media officer of the National Office of Copyright and Related Rights, the organizer of the event, "to be close to the people."
"We have traveled hundreds of kilometers to reach the capital," said student Yousif Dzairi. "We have paid a lot of money for us students, and we are ready to stay outdoors in order to have a place at the Solking ceremony because it is our ideal of success, humility and patriotism."
Security enhancements
The event sparked a whirlwind before it kicked off. It faced a crisis in selling tickets on the black market, where the value of one ticket was $ 40, while the original price of the ticket is only $ 11.
Tickets were sold on the black market three times their price at the National Office of Copyright and Neighboring Rights, while Kawtar Belalia confirmed that counterfeit tickets were sold on the parallel market where special detectors were put in place.
As for the tragedy, Belalia explained that more than 2,000 police officers in civilian clothes were recruited to secure the concert, along with hundreds in formal dress.However, the situation has not been controlled as a result of the stampede, while hundreds of young people remained outside the stadium as a result of heavy traffic despite carrying tickets.
Solking's concert has not only left many dead and injuries, but also sparked controversy in Algeria, especially after the circulation of the concert figures, which the street considered huge, where some believe that his revenues "were free to go to the needy instead of benefiting a singer," to answer Solking that half of the income The concert will go to cancer patients in his country.
The Message of Solking
On the other hand, Belalia pointed to the prohibition of raising any political slogan at the ceremony as a purely artistic activity, while the student Isma Maysum (21 years) that "just chanting the song" freedom "is enough to convey the message of tens of thousands who will attend."
Haitham Boulahla, a student and a fan of Solking, said he dreams of meeting the artist to see in particular a model "for the young Algerian who stood up against all barriers but broke them and succeeded". In their love for his mon algeria, these young people go beyond the obsession of stars towards a new concept of love for the star.
Abderraouf Draghi, nicknamed Solking, was born in 1989 to a music father, immigrated to France in 2008. He changed his name technically to Solking in 2013. He performed many successful songs in French, and his album "Fruit de démon" took fourth place in the album list. French.