Readers discuss who is to blame in the Love Parade tragedy

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Who is responsible?

A riot begins with a single person. That person is pushed, falls or screams and others begin to panic. The crowd begins to move more quickly and, finding themselves trapped, kick one another. The police were powerless until the crowd reached an exit point. A riot is one of life's worst nightmares. -- Malcolm, Canada

Mass panic is to blame. -- Marc, Spain

I cannot see any sense in putting the blame on an individual. He will doubtless feel guilty and saddened by the events, but to blame him for the deaths? I cannot see the logic there. For example, were organizations employed to oversee planning and logistics? Was permission granted by a local government body? Were the police informed and asked to monitor? Did the attendees not see the potential for danger when so many people filled the venue? As usual, human nature says try to put the entire blame on as few as you can, and best of all, blame just one person if you can. Well, life is not like that, and you cannot do that. -- Fred, Australia

The unexpected always follows from good ideas and intentions. Somehow life and its mystery become like a coin - sometimes it lands on one side, sometimes the opposite. My condolences go to the families of all those young people who believed in something different. -- Erico, Chile

Exactly 10 years ago, something similar happened in my home country of Denmark, at the Roskilde Festival. It has also happened in other situations, where panic has broken out, due to fires or crowds pushing ahead, for example. And, sadly, it will no doubt happen again in the history of mankind. This should lead to a kind of certification of all major events, where so many people gather in a limited area. All parameters that could start a disaster and affect its course should be taken into account - escape routes, weather, alcohol consumption, age groups involved, fire, nationalities (how to communicate to and with a large group of people from different countries), et cetera. Specialists, like psychologists, police, city planners, emergency teams, et cetera should try to think out possible scenarios at a given location and how to minimize the risk of loss of lives. The only positive thing about disasters is that knowledge about them may help us to learn more about how large crowds react in critical conditions. Maybe computer models could also be helpful when simulating scenarios. A certification and disaster prevention team should be a legal must-have for event makers and could be an EU-task to set up. -- Henrik, Denmark

No "one" person is to blame; that is stupid. Sauerland should not be vilified to the point where something drastic happens to him. -- Bill, US

Compiled by Greg Wiser
Editor: Chuck Penfold