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U.S. CITIZENS IN ARMENIA PETITION YOVANOVITCH ON CROWD CONTROL
http://hetq.am/eng/news/881/
10:17, May 3, 2011
Dear Ambassador Yovanovitch,
We are American citizens living/working in Armenia. We are writing
you with a plea to help improve safety standards during entry to
sporting/concert events in Armenia. The concept and practice of
crowd control with proper queue lines and "first come first serve"
does not exist in Armenia. As a result, the process of entering an
event in Armenia endangers the well being of all amongst the chaos
of people pushing and struggling for their right to enter.
This problem was specifically evident during the last
football/soccer match vs Russia on March 26, 20011. Outside the
stadium before the match there was a lack of any queue lines and
not enough open gates or enough ticket checkers. This resulted
in a large crowd build up and long waits with no room for
movement. Some portions of that night's entry can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejr7T9M40s8&feature=channel_video_title
Eventually near the start of the match people became anxious and
started shoving each other trying to enter. People had to struggle
to remain on their feet with the danger of falling down and being
trampled upon. The risk of injury in this type of situation is
particularly dangerous for the elderly, women and children. Hence,
many have stopped attending sporting and concert events in Armenia.
It is our impression that the situation is aggravated by poor
policing and crowd control. Proper policing, as it is found in Western
countries, could solve the problem. We would like you to help us put
an end to this problem by bringing up the issue with the authorities
in Armenia and to offer them proper training for crowd control systems
that will ensure our safety during events. Correcting this problem
will not only help prevent future fatalities but also make attending
events in Armenia more efficient and enjoyable for US citizens and
all others in Armenia.
Thank you for your attention,
Concerned US citizens
From: A. Papazian
http://hetq.am/eng/news/881/
10:17, May 3, 2011
Dear Ambassador Yovanovitch,
We are American citizens living/working in Armenia. We are writing
you with a plea to help improve safety standards during entry to
sporting/concert events in Armenia. The concept and practice of
crowd control with proper queue lines and "first come first serve"
does not exist in Armenia. As a result, the process of entering an
event in Armenia endangers the well being of all amongst the chaos
of people pushing and struggling for their right to enter.
This problem was specifically evident during the last
football/soccer match vs Russia on March 26, 20011. Outside the
stadium before the match there was a lack of any queue lines and
not enough open gates or enough ticket checkers. This resulted
in a large crowd build up and long waits with no room for
movement. Some portions of that night's entry can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejr7T9M40s8&feature=channel_video_title
Eventually near the start of the match people became anxious and
started shoving each other trying to enter. People had to struggle
to remain on their feet with the danger of falling down and being
trampled upon. The risk of injury in this type of situation is
particularly dangerous for the elderly, women and children. Hence,
many have stopped attending sporting and concert events in Armenia.
It is our impression that the situation is aggravated by poor
policing and crowd control. Proper policing, as it is found in Western
countries, could solve the problem. We would like you to help us put
an end to this problem by bringing up the issue with the authorities
in Armenia and to offer them proper training for crowd control systems
that will ensure our safety during events. Correcting this problem
will not only help prevent future fatalities but also make attending
events in Armenia more efficient and enjoyable for US citizens and
all others in Armenia.
Thank you for your attention,
Concerned US citizens
From: A. Papazian