The state of New Jersey has issued the final tally for arrests and injuries that came as a result of the minor rioting at MetLife Stadium as part of the Hot 97 Summer Jam over the weekend: 61 fans were arrested and 10 state troopers were injured as those without tickets hurled bottles and other debris at law enforcement. DJs from Hot 97 addressed the controversy on Monday, denouncing lawbreakers and hoping that the issues wouldn't create problems for the now 23 year-old festival.
"You cannot throw bottles at police," said Laura Stylez, one of the morning show hosts. "What is wrong with you?"
The issue began when hundreds of fans showed up at MetLife Stadium without a ticket, aiming to buy a pass for the event, which featured headlining appearances from stars such as Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and Big Sean. When it was revealed that tickets had run out, those without didn't plan on going home, and attempted to rush the gates or climb fences to get into the concert. When law enforcement began blocking the gates with riot shields, some began tossing bottles at them, which led to tear gas being fired into the crowd.
The most disappointed among the mass had to be those who legitimately had tickets for entrance, but were unable to enter when police shut down the gates in order to prevent further disruption. Emmis New York, the owner of Hot 97, has said that full refunds will be offered to those who weren't able to attend due to the disruption...but that hardly mollifies those that got ripped off.
DJ Ebro Darden from Hot 97 expressed concern regarding the way the concert will be viewed by the general public as a result of the uproar.
"Part of the reason it may not exist is because people are afraid of this type of behavior from young people," he said. "This is the music that we play and...we have to take the good with the bad some times."
It's been a while since there's been this much of an issue at Summer Jam. The 1999 event was also marred by ticketless attendees bombarding police with debris.
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