Stabbing, Fence Jumping Mar Lollapalooza Day 1

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 4, 2012 2:00PM

Day 1 of Lollapalooza 2012 brought record crowds to Grant Park Friday. Along with the crowds came fence jumpers determined to get into the festival.

And crash the party they did. Fox News Chicago caught the scene at Lake Shore Drive and Monroe Street yesterday afternoon as a group of 300 people broke through the security perimeter and entered the festival.

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Yeah, kid, It isn't illegal to love music so much. Trying to crash a festival without a ticket? Not so much. Large groups of people crashing Lollapalooza has been a problem in recent years and festival organizers and city officials said security would be tightened this year to keep the kids who love music so much out. Expect an increased police presence along the weaker portions of the fence today. Short of laying land mines along Grant Park and stringing razor wire along the fence's perimeter, this could be a Sisyphean battle the police are fighting.

In other Lollapalooza news a 53-year-old man who was scalping Lollapalooza tickets was stabbed outside the festival around 7 p.m. Friday night. Witnesses told the Sun-Times and Tribune the incident happened near the Art Institute of Chicago at Adams and Michigan and saw a group of younger men attack him. A cousin of the victim told the Sun-Times he was from Memphis, Tenn. and regularly went to larger festivals to scalp tickets.

The victim was treated at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and was in good condition.