Lollapalooza organizers have said that instances of fence-jumping – music fans trying en masse to get through gaps in security without paying – are particularly high at this year’s festival.
At Grant Park this afternoon along Jackson Drive, packs of hundreds of teens could be seen roving the fringes of the festival, gathering themselves into groups of a dozen or two and rushing at openings in the fences and barricades, apparently testing security in the hope that a few among their ranks would make it through.
In most instances guards converged and chased them off. At one point, guards sprayed teens with a fire extinguisher, prompting cries of “It’s tear gas!” “Music should be free!” and “Book it!”
The teens dispersed in all directions. Soon however, their roving resumed, and the scene repeated.
Festival organizers say groups of up to 300 people have been spotted trying to storm the fences. This year’s event is the seventh time it has been held in Grant Park and a spokesman said there has been a steady increase in fence-jumping.
Most of the incidents were happening on the lake side of the park, along the stretch of the park just west of Lake Shore Drive.
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