Observations on the Woodstock '99 "Riots"...

R

Rob Pincus

New member
I worked at the 1994 Woodstock Festival. I was on a private security contract escorting VIPs from the backstage area out into the "festival". It was dirty, choatic, but kinda fun. There was some looting, much like what is being described now.. vendors booths & storage areas. There was contained violence, one gun shot and a fair amount of drugs. The most publicized problem was that the "checkpoints" at the entrances were overrun on the first afternoon, and it became a free concert without anyone screening for weapons, drugs or alcohol. At the end not very many people were hurt, I had one big lump on the back of my head and some superficial wounds, and the entire place should've been cordoned off as a toxic waste site.

Last time the "peace patrol" were actaully 50% National guardsmen and 50% people who volunteered at local malls. They were the ones who let the gates come down and were responsible for over $200,000 worth of handheld and walk-through metal detectors being stolen or trashed. I can only imagine who made up the crack security team this time.

Now, I see that they burned the place to the ground last night. A business associate of mine wanted to attend the event this year, and I assured him that he should contract with serious security before he went. I suggested an off-duty NY State Trooper. I knew that the whole damn thing was one step from serious violence and last year several hundred State troopers were at a nearby National Guard Armory waiting for a call that never came. Last night they called, and hundreds of state troopers in riot gear showed up quickly and apparently contained the "riot" efficiently and without major incident. Don't kid yourself that they weren't standing close by. I say "Well Done."


But, the whole thing makes me wonder what the hell is wrong with people?
Is the next step to actually have the troopers at the event?
Is a direct show of force and fear of punishment the only thing that will keep people from behaving like idiots?
 
One female interviewed after the riot said she did it(riot) because everyone else did.
One male said pretzel were to high.
Sex, drugs and rock&roll.

The goverment will have to step in, if it saves just one pretzel it will be worth it.
 
Hi Everyone-

Sub: LIVE REPORT from WOODSTOCK '99

Three friends and I made the 6+ hour trip to Rome, New York for the extended musical weekend. Here are some observations and excerpts from firearms conversations that we had while there:

The "screening process" can be easily defeated. The official web site http://www.woodstock.com made all sorts of claims about how "tight" security would be for this event. No coolers, no firearms, no aerosol cans, no knives, no metal tent pegs (nylon or plastic only), no this, no that. They merely conducted random checks by pulling people out of line and going through their bags. My SIG Sauer remained (legally)in the car, but my Benchmade AFCK made it in just fine

Lots of really dumb hippies. These "ecologically-minded, peaceful, and gentle" concert-goers completely trashed the facility. Our guess is that it will take at least 2-3 months to dispose all of the pizza boxes, plastic bottles, french-fry wrappers, cigarette butts, and rotting vegetable waste from the vendors. Wish I had a scanner for pictures. I'll check at work.

Some people in the campground got tired of walking to the Porta-Johns, so they ripped them off their moorings and carried them back to their tents. Of course, they soon filled-up because they weren't being vacuumed by the Poop n' Pee Trucks.

Bent-out-of-shape with this predicament, my fellow (?) music fans do the only logical thing and tip them upside-down.....Public health was in a complete tailspin due to the overturned toilets with attendant feces and urine, standing water, and putrefying food.

But wait, the fun hasn't begun! Fast forward to the last day and it really gets exciting! Now that people have become tired of paying $4.00 for a bottle of water, they're really in a mood to riot.

Plywood walls between campsites (and surrounding the event) start to get ripped down and fires breakout in many different areas. This was a real threat to campers in areas with dry grass. Firefighters and State Troopers remained so calm and even-handed under these conditions. My hat is off to all of them.

ATM machines were smashed in attempts to get them open, and vendors booths were looted like South Central LA. Smart vendors should have packed their pizza ovens, drink dispensers, utensils and gotten' out of Dodge City by nightfall on Saturday.

Drugs. You guys would have to see it to believe it. I've heard that concerts are regarded as Private Property and are not subject to police supervision, but something should be done to assure the welfare of law-abiding attendees.

These drug-using losers didn't even care about hiding their water pipes, dope, pills, cocaine, and you-name-it. One performer (SevenDust) smoked marijuana on stage and said he wanted to get "Fu_ked-up" with everyone in the crowd. Then he taunted NY State Troopers by saying whatever they do to him is "worth it because it is for the fans." Loser, loser, loser.

Gun-grabbers called PAX. There was a organization called PAX at the event passing out candles and asking people to sign a petition to be sent to Washington, D.C. looking for the end of gun violence.

Posing as a card-carrying, goose-stepping HCI member, I got involved in a conversation with a PAX member:

Blue Jays: What does the NRA, JPFO, or the GOA say when you invite them for discussions?

PAX: Those asshol_s are totally not willing to meet with us to talk. They just want more and more guns to everyone with no restrictions. They don't even want to reach a compromise with groups like us.

Blue Jays: These gun nuts are so unrealistic! No national registrations, no locks, no accountability. The NRA might as well be delivering bushel baskets of handguns to schoolyards. We really need to mobilize to confiscate all guns.

PAX: That's what we would like to see happen.

SHEESH!

This submission to the thread is getting really, really long. Later, I'll illustrate some of the organizations that support PAX in their work. It sure should change some shopping habits as it did mine.

Darn, the only good part were some favorite bands and all the nude and semi-nude women running around the compound. :)

Any other clear-thinking TFLers at the event? What did y'all think?

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~
 
One performer (SevenDust) smoked marijuana on stage and said he wanted to get "Fu_ked-up" with everyone in the crowd. Then he taunted NY State Troopers by saying whatever they do to him is "worth it because it is for the fans." Loser, loser, loser.

My band opened for Sevendust last year... LeJean (lead singer) seemed too mellow to instigate like this. Off-stage, at least. However, musicians tend to go a bit, shall we say, overboard when the lights are up and the attention of thousands of people is focused on them (the performers, not the lights).

Glad I missed it. I didn't even know about WS99 until this morning. And after reading the reports, I must say...

"You damn kids! When I was your age, we didn't act like such idiots!"

Oh. The idiots were late 20s-early 30s?

Never mind.

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A vote for the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.
Vote Libertarian - For A Change.
 
Sounds like a replay of 5 years ago, with mud removed and fire added.

I have pictures from the Mud Pit on SATURDAY, by Sunday the (apparently recurring) phenomenon of overflowing Porta-pots made what was relatively clean mud a literal river of sewage and waste. I climbed ot the top of one of the big light towers and took pictures the day after the event, ACRES of litter and wreckage and sewage.. like I said, they should have just cordoned off the whole damn place.

Was their any sense of just how close the Troopers had been standing by??
 
All it takes is a bit of booze or drugs, or agitators and with the "anonymity of the crowd" factor kicked in, you've got a riot. A heavy uniform/police presence is required to restore order.

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
IRONY ALERT:

I just heard on a news report:

[woodstock '99 will be remembered for] "..fires set with candles handed out by an organization advocating peace...."

Is it possible that these were the candles handed out by the anti-gunners.. hehe, BAN CANDLES before its too late!
 
Well, sounds like not much has changed, but for ATM machines.

I saw a photo "after" everybody left the original Woodstock. 'Twas a sea of trash; I forget how many tons. 300 or so, as I recall.

It reminds me of a trucker-CBer, seeing a '56 Ford with its hood up, a few years back: "Wal, it don't get no better with age..."
 
[woodstock '99 will be remembered for] "..fires set with candles handed out by an
organization advocating peace...."


*ahem*


ROTFLOLFDSOIFHDKSFHDKSFDKSJFD:L!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The Infamous ShadedDude
http://www.inanimatemotion.com
Web Design and Hosting
 
Jim Cederstrum today on his shortwave show from Warsaw, Missouri made a good comment on Woodstock 99. He pointed out that people interviewed said they rioted because of the high prices charged. Cederstrum made the excellent point that wait till y2k. These clowns,millions of them, will really go crazy when the lights and sewage go out around the country. Woodstock 99 is just practice for the big show coming up.
 
Hi Everyone-

Rob & 4V50, there was very little visible LE presence. I did see 5 officers from the Sheriff's Department on bicycles on Saturday afternoon, but that's it. This may have been an effort to "de-escalate" perceived tensions at the event since it was being held in an old military facility, but there's no way to be certain.

A more open presence would have made people pause an extra second before doing something stupid/illegal. Would anyone really be willing to overturn a Porta-Potty with a State Trooper standing right there? I think not.

Same thing with drug usage. Even if only for the children (oops, did I say that?), a heavy LE presence would allow a good, clean, upstanding teenager being peer-pressured into using drugs to say, "No way. I'm not sure about drugs. Even if I was, look at all the police that are around here. I'm not taking chances."

Coinneach, yup, heard those very words from LeJean with my own two ears (albeit stuffed with NRR 30 earplugs) from no more than 25 yards from the West Stage. He yapped lots and lots about drugs and "feeling the crowd." Watched him take a joint from the audience, take a couple big hits, then share it with some people in the front row. Then he started his diatribe against the State Police. Their music was fine, I just have a problem with the way they conduct themselves.

The new Sevendust album arrives in stores 8/24/99 if you're still opening for them on occasion.

There were four of us in my group. The youngest is 29 years of age and the oldest is 31 years of age. As one who has never done an illegal drug, never smoked a cigarette, and is a teetotaler, maybe I'm the one who is slightly out-of-touch with the rock music crowd! :) I've always treated my body as a temple, I have no inclination to start abusing it now.

The minority of punks who caused all these problems have to come to realize that it is because we Americans enjoy so many freedoms that they are able to run around smoking dope, robbing food vendors, listening to rock music, and burning flags. They should try pulling a stunt like that in China and see what happens.

Then PAX has all their silly gun-control yammering and you've really had it! The only organization that I saw distributing candles was PAX.

This was a great one-time experience. Very glad I attended, just won't do it again anytime soon, like maybe Woodstock '19!

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~

[This message has been edited by Blue Jays (edited July 26, 1999).]
 
Contrari-wise, I went to Country Fair near Eugene, OR, three weeks ago, and enjoyed the music, food, art, dancing, semi-nudity (oops), along with about 20-30k people, and... no fights, no hassles, no parking problems (they had a great park 'n ride program) and... get this: NO TRASH!!!
I love Texas, but I've gotta say, those Oregonians are pretty dadgummed conscious of the rights of their fellows. I watched one hipster actually gather up his stuff and throw away his roaches after sharing a couple of joints with his friends. Another, who sat down in front of my wife and me and started to toke up, turned around, saw our child, and said "Oh my goodness, I'm sorry!" and moved away. He saved me from pointing out what I was about to, and showed some decency. I don't, nor ever will, smoke in any way, but I can certainly tolerate it if that type of consideration is shown.

Real social consciousness is kinda neat to see. My mother told me about how she couldn't believe that when the people at the original Woodstock heard the report that we had landed on the moon, they booed. I can't either.

[This message has been edited by Long Path (edited July 26, 1999).]
 
Just goes to show that evolution can work in reverse, too. A model 870 is probably going to be the tool to minimize the slippage come Y2K...

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Ahhh, Chicago PD of 1968. Where were you when we needed you again?

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Bruce Stanton
CDR, USN-Ret.
Sgt., Kings Co. Sheriff - Ret.
 
Memphis cops used to be pretty handy with Riots also, and god knows that Detroit PD has had some experience....

I am just REALLY glad that they didn't "bring in the National Guard".. can you imagine the conspiracy guys if they had. Next thing you know the riot would've been a gov't plot to get the Guardsmen acclimated to controling large groups of rioting American citizens.... hehe....



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-Essayons
 
While we're on the topic (?), has anyone here been to a concert, enjoying himself despite the large amount of cannibus smoke drifting by, and found himself pushed into a Mosh Pit? What the hell is wrong with these people? I'm 6'5", 225 lbs, and 27 years old, and this 16 or 17 year-old comes up to me in a rollicking fashion and throws an elbow jab into my head, and keeps bouncing right along. This is dancing? It's a new level of self control that I didn't kill the little punk. Instead, he "tripped." I'm just about done with big concerts-- what with the trash and stuff being launched into the crowd, the fires, and the bizzare actions of the crowds, this married man is gonna stay home and get it on CD if the crowd is over 200.

*MAJOR EXCEPTION*: folk festivals like Kerrville and Willie's 4th of July Picnic (the latter of which is crawling with DPS officers.).
 
Mosh pits! HA! What a pathetic joke!

"Ooooooo!...slamming around in a whirlpool of degenerate, headbanging, spikehaired sociopaths fueled by tequila, crystal meth and a nihilistic 180 dB power-trio...that's so scary!"

Oh yeah? Today I came home and went straight into the Dog Pit...um...I mean dog lot. Poor things had been outside all day and were soooo glad to see me.

15 manic dogs. Now that's a mosh pit! :D :D :D Monsters of Rock at the New Jersey Meadowlands stadium was a black-tie dinner by comparison.

And yes, the first 25 minutes were very theraputic. After that, well...

-boing...bruised, scratched, and all doggy-smelling :D




[This message has been edited by boing (edited July 27, 1999).]
 
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