Security For the Iron
Maiden Concert To Be
Tight
Iron Maiden, the English
heavy metal band, is
coming to Costa Rica
next week and is proving
to be a challenge for
organizers of the
concert, who are
concerned with security.
The concert will take
place February 26 at the
Ricardo Saprissa
stadium.
Organizers of the event
are coordinating with
police, the immigration
service and the Red
Cross to be on hand for
the event, as thousands
of fans are expected to
camp out outside the
stadium days before the
event and possible
conflict as it occurred
in Chile a decade ago,
where the event was
almost called off after
64 people were arrested
and five injured.
Iron Maiden is expected
to perform to 27.000
spectators.
According to Evenpro,
the organizer of the
event, 200 private
security officials will
be on hand in addition
to the police, who will
be watching the
behaviour of heavy metal
fans.
Evenpro says the Cruz
Roja (Red Cross) will
have staff on hand
beginning on Saturday
(23rd) just in case some
fanatics want to start
the show early. On the
24th they will have a
post that will be
attended to on a 24 hour
basis until after the
concert. Some 70
emergency personnel,
including doctors, will
be on hand.
The press office of the
Ministerio de Seguridad
Pública says it will
have 250 police
officials on hand the
day of the concert and
will increase patrols of
the stadium the days
before the event. Police
officials are expected
to be present in a
perimeter of 500 metres
of the stadium.
For their part, the
director de Migración y
Extranjería, Mario
Zamora, assures that he
will have officials at
the event and bolster
staff at the Peñas
Blancas border with
Nicaragua as heavy metal
from all over Central
America rockers are
expected to come to the
event.
Zamora added that the
band attracts "mareros"
and other youth gangs
from Central America,
which may take advantage
of the heavier than
normal flow of people
coming into the country
to enter illegally.
Entrance to the stadium
for the concert will
under the close scrutiny
of private security
personnel who, according
to Evenpro, are
instructed to confiscate
any object that can be
deemed dangerous to the
public or refuse entry
to the person.
Iron Maiden was formed
in 1975 by bassist Steve
Harris, formerly a
member of Gypsy's Kiss
and Smiler. Iron Maiden
are one of the most
successful and
influential bands in the
heavy metal genre,
having sold over 100
million albums
worldwide. The band won
the Ivor Novello Awards
for international
achievement in 2002.
They were also inducted
into the Hollywood Rock
Walk during their tour
in the United States in
2005. |
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