BERLIN — A memorial service will be held for the 20 people crushed to death in a mass panic at the Love Parade techno festival, German officials said Tuesday, and hundreds of people lit candles, left notes and placed flowers at the site of the disaster.
People in the western German city of Duisburg gathered to express their grief near where the victims died and 500 others were injured in a jammed tunnel that was the lone entry to the annual festival meant to celebrate peace and love.
Some cried and clung to loved ones. Many lined up to sign a condolence book placed between two red candles in the middle of the tunnel.
People also expressed anger at city authorities, particularly Mayor Adolf Sauerland, who they blame for failing to adequately plan for the event. Organizers have come under fire for purportedly trying to squeeze as many as 1.4 million revelers into too small a space and for allowing only one access point onto the grounds.
One note read: “Sauerland, resign! You failed.”
Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff will attend the ecumenical ceremony at a church in Duisburg on Saturday, according to their offices. Merkel’s office said she would interrupt a summer vacation to attend.
Front Section, Pages 8 on 07/28/2010