Crowd Control: The Delicate Balance of Safety and Unity

From Black Friday Sales to Sacred Pilgrimages: Understanding the Psychology, Design, and Management of Mass Gatherings.

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Short summary (1min read)

Crowd dynamics play a pivotal role in events ranging from Black Friday sales to sacred pilgrimages. While large gatherings are often perceived as chaotic, studies show that shared identities can foster cooperation, as seen during crises like the 2005 London bombings. However, anomalies like the Hajj pilgrimage have witnessed devastating crowd crushes despite a strong sense of unity. Factors like venue design, event organization, and crowd psychology significantly influence outcomes. Tragedies, such as the 2021 Astroworld Festival, underscore the importance of proper planning and risk assessment. Platforms like Nebula delve deeper into these dynamics, emphasizing the need for understanding and preparedness.

Full summary (5min read)

Hypothetical Sale 🛍️

An electronics store announced a Black Friday sale, offering ninth-generation game consoles at a significant discount. This attracted a massive crowd, hoping to buy and potentially resell these scarce items. As the store's opening time approached, the security team faced challenges in managing the crowd. Their strategy of letting in small groups backfired, leading to a dangerous crowd crush. The situation escalated as different sections of the crowd had conflicting desires: some wanted the consoles, others sought safety, and the security team aimed to maintain order.

Psychology 🧠

There's a common misconception that large crowds are inherently chaotic and dangerous. However, recent studies challenge this notion. In crisis situations, people often display cooperative behavior. For instance, during fires, rather than panicking, people tend to help one another. This cooperative behavior is even more pronounced when there's a shared identity among the crowd. An experiment showed that in simulated evacuations, individuals were more inclined to assist those who shared a team allegiance with them. Such shared identities can lead to order, as evidenced by the cooperative behavior during the 2005 London bombings.

Anomalies 🤔

Interestingly, crowd crushes are infrequent during riots or civil unrest. A notable exception was the 2022 incident at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia, where fans fled from police tear gas. Another instance in Ethiopia in 2016 was also due to police actions. While riots might seem chaotic, they often have fewer crush incidents than events like football games or concerts. However, the Hajj pilgrimage stands out. Despite the deep sense of unity among the pilgrims, it has witnessed some of the deadliest crowd crushes in recent history.

Religion 🕌

The Hajj pilgrimage offers a unique perspective on crowd behavior. At the Kaaba, the epicenter of the Muslim world, pilgrims gather for prayers. There are two primary areas: the open plaza and the balconies above. While the plaza provides an unobstructed view, the balconies have pillars that can hinder visibility. A survey found that those in the balconies, where the experience can vary based on positioning, displayed less cooperative behavior. This suggests a correlation between increased competitiveness and decreased cooperativeness.

Riots 📢

Riots, by nature, have a strong shared identity as people unite for a cause. This, combined with the general lack of a tangible "prize" or goal, means there's less pushing or shoving, reducing the chances of a crowd crush.

Events 🎫

Certain events pose a higher risk for crowd crushes, especially when attendees are still outside as the event begins. This scenario has led to tragedies in places like San Salvador and Uíge. Concerts with unassigned seating are particularly vulnerable. The combination of high demand, limited entry points, and the allure of unassigned seating can create dangerous situations.

Blame 🤷

In the aftermath of crowd-related tragedies, there's a tendency to fault the crowd's behavior. However, this often overlooks systemic issues like poor design and inadequate organization. The Who concert disaster, for instance, was worsened by insufficient entry points and miscommunication. When crowds reach a certain density, individual control diminishes, and the crowd's movement becomes more fluid, leading to potential dangers.

Regulations 📜

The Who concert tragedy catalyzed changes in event organization. Cincinnati imposed a ban on general admission concerts for years, and other US cities introduced stricter regulations. The National Fire Protection Association updated its Life Safety Code to better address crowd dynamics. Modern events now emphasize crowd management, but challenges remain, as seen during the 2020 European Football Championship in London.

Stadiums ⚽

Football matches can be flashpoints for crowd issues. In one final, fans breached stadium gates, with thousands more poised to follow. Another incident in 2023 at Sheffield Wednesday highlighted the risks of seating delays, even when safety protocols are in place.

Festivals 🎤

The 2021 Astroworld Festival in Houston became a tragic example of the consequences of poor venue design. As performances shifted between stages, the crowd's movement, combined with ill-placed barricades, led to a deadly crush.

Design 📐

While design flaws become evident after disasters, predicting them is tough. Many events with similar setups go without incident. The key lies in thorough planning, risk assessment, and prompt responses to emerging threats.

Hajj 🕋

The Hajj has seen repeated crowd crushes. After significant incidents in 2004 and 2006, the Saudi government invested in infrastructure upgrades. However, a 2015 crush, causing around 2,400 deaths, highlighted ongoing challenges. This event strained Saudi-Iranian ties due to the many Iranian casualties. Since then, improvements in infrastructure, technology, and crowd psychology have ensured safer pilgrimages.

Streaming 🎥

Nebula, a creator-driven streaming platform, features an episode on the Hajj's logistics in its "Logistics of X" series. Nebula prioritizes ad-free, quality content, funded by subscriber fees. The platform boasts high engagement rates, with many subscribers tuning in daily.

This summary was generated using AI. Please read PodSum's disclaimer for more information.