This article analyses the violence that broke out at a Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin. Analysing the aftermath of the concert, the article demonstrates how not only the event itself, but also the effects of rock music in general and the state of post-war youth, were discussed extensively in the media and even in a political debate at the Berlin city parliament. As a result, police reforms and new safety standards for concert halls and arenas were developed and internationally debated.
Translated into English from the French by Lucy Garnier. For a short while, it seemed as though adults adopting youth dances, such as the twist, had consigned the troubles of rock to the past, but towards the second half of the s, the media reported several public order issues. When the five young Brits stepped off the aircraft at Tegel airport on September 15, substantial measures had been taken to ensure security on the runway. Misinformation had deliberately been leaked to the press claiming that rooms had been booked in the city centre.
In reality, the group were discreetly housed in Grunewald, a sparsely populated area on the outskirts of Berlin, largely covered in forest. The convoy also included unmarked cars to ward off any potential fans in vehicles, but everything went according to plan. The venue was entirely sold out. With almost 21, people already crowded inside, several thousand fans who had not been able to get tickets pressed up against the entrance.
The main concert was scheduled to begin at 9. The first bottles had started to fly outside the venue. The events within the venue were also meticulously documented. From 9. The first firecrackers were thrown, along with some objects including shoes and underwear. But only twenty minutes later, the organisers stopped the concert.
Hundreds of youths [tried to] storm the stage. Portions of benches were smashed, shoes, clothes, empty bottles etc. The police force present managed to clear the stage and surrounding area, through the use of batons.
