Keeping calm. Coldplay singer Chris Martin was a voice of reason for fans at the Global Citizen Festival on Saturday, September 29, after a fence barrier loudly collapsed, sparking instant panic that shots had been fired.
“What happened is a barrier, I think, fell down,” he told the concertgoers, as several people sprinted for the exits. “Of course it caused people to be a little frightened and stuff like that. But nobody is trying to hurt anybody. You’re all safe. I just want to tell you that,” he said, adding, “If you’re at the back and you’re worried, of course we’re all worried, we all care about people, OK?”
WATCH: Chris Martin and NYPD Assistant Chief Kathleen O’Reilly explain that a fence barrier collapsed at #GlobalCitizen Festival; there were no shots fired: “You’re all safe.” pic.twitter.com/wiAbyMVjqh
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 29, 2018
The 41-year-old musician, who’s ex, Gwyneth Paltrow, was marrying Brad Falchuk in the Hamptons, then turned the microphone over to deputy police chief Kathleen O’Reilly, who reiterated Martin’s assurances. “Everybody relax, calm down, it was a barrier collapse, there was no shots fired,” she said.
As a source explained to Us Weekly, the barrier, which was located near the stage, was pushed over by festgoers who were attempting to get closer.
Video from those in attendance showed people going in every direction, some holding hands with worried looks on their faces. “Stay put!” a police officer is seen telling a man before getting on stage. “Please everybody, everybody, everybody … Stop. Remain calm,” she tells the crowd before instructing fest workers to open up back fences.
The source told Us that some were pushed over into the mud in their attempted exits.
The New York City Police department addressed the incident on Twitter on Saturday, writing, “There were NO SHOTS FIRED at #GlobalCitizenFestival. The sound was a fallen barrier.”
Elizabeth Chambers Hammer, who is married to The Social Network star Armie Hammer, posted a photo on her Instagram Stories on Saturday of her knee being iced after the event. “Torn knee situation and scariest moment of my life,” she captioned the photo. “We all heard gunshots, it was the most insane stampede, people were trampled, screaming, crying, running for their lives.”
She continued to describe the frightening situation in a subsequent story, “They escorted @jnj off the stage, the police were screaming get down. People were trampling over each other. It was so scary. I lost everyone in my group but I didn’t look back.”
The show resumed approximately 15 to 20 minutes later with a performance from Janet Jackson.
Us has reached out to the Global Citizen Festival for comment.
