What exactly happened at Karachi Eat 2023?
KARACHI: The collapse of the city’s largest food festival in 2023 wasn’t much of a surprise to someone who hasn’t missed Karachi Eat for the previous five years. The guests of Karachi Eat’s 10th instalment related horrifying tales of harassment and groping on the event’s final day.
Several troublemakers broke through one of the entrances at Beach View Park, according to eyewitnesses there, breaking in without tickets. Following this, videos of the disorderly crowd went viral, prompting many to criticise the event’s organisers for their poor planning.
“Gates crashed. Families were harassed,” Salman Muhammad, whose near and dear were present when the mishap happened, shared with the news sources.
“Young Stunners refused to perform and everything was called off. The management just wrapped everything up. The security was equal to none.” He concluded, “It’s unfortunate, we have become uncivilised ghosts.”
Similar accounts of the night surfaced on Twitter as well. A user shared, “Made it out thank god.” The female attendee went on to add, “There were men outside the venue trying to get in to harass women. The police were trying to control them, and suddenly the lights went out and they were all hooting like crazy. Had to climb out of a broken wall to get safely to my car.”
Made it out thank god. There were men outside the venue trying to get in to harass women. The police were trying to control them, and suddenly the lights went out and they were all hooting like crazy. Had to climb out of a broken wall to get safely to my car.
— ⛈ Meowʕु•̫͡•ʔु☂ (@Rain_sky_ed) January 8, 2023
One more attendee shared, “Stags broke the gates and forcefully entered Karachi Eat today. People are saying that they literally had to leave through spaces between walls and jump off them to get out of the chaos. Please ban such events in the city if security can’t be managed.”
Stags broke the gates and forcefully entered #KarachiEat today. People are saying that they literally had to leave through spaces between walls and jump off them to get out of the chaos. Please ban such events in the city if security can’t be managed.
— Armash (@armashshahab) January 8, 2023
A verified account on Twitter shared a video from the event and penned, “Kaifi Khalil got hit by a bottle from the crowd, he was bleeding. Girls were getting harassed because of which young stunners didn’t perform and Karachi Eat was ended immediately. People broke the boundaries to get inside without tickets.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/1612266474751541249
He further added, “The management ended the concert immediately. Whoever you were, I hope this comes back at you whatever the way.”
Khalil, however, clarified in a statement he shared on social media, that he wasn’t injured. “I would just like to clarify the fake news that’s circulating about me getting injured during my performance at the Karachi Eat event yesterday, which isn’t true.”
https://twitter.com/kaifi_khalil/status/1612333318057467907?s=20&t=bLQig2SsVg8pzGqOq9eshQ
What exactly happened at Karachi Eat 2023? In a statement shared by their publicist to news channels, the organisers said, “A large crowd tore down the walls, fought with the security present, scaled the barricades to enter the premises and spread fear to those present at the event.” The statement further added, “Despite security measures, the crowd was extremely unruly and stormed through the event causing harm to our security as well.”
The organiser went on to add, “We keep the ticket prices as low as we can to make the event accessible to all. Hiking the price will only make it possible for the elite to attend which defeats the purpose of the Eat festival. It will not remain inclusive anymore. Day one saw even more numbers of crowds than day three and yet day one went on smoothly as did day two but the mob on day three that violated the security measures ruined the festival for the people present.”
