Free Concert Canceled, Fans Turn Rowdy

Scores of fans angry at being shut out of an overcrowded free concert in Hollywood on Monday broke through barricades and rushed the stage, throwing rocks and bottles and damaging cars and equipment before they were dispersed by police.

No one was seriously hurt, but at least six arrests were made after the disturbance at the scene of the aborted concert by the band System of a Down, said Deputy Chief David Kalish of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Those detained were expected to be booked on charges ranging from vandalism to assault, police said.

Several officers and concertgoers also were treated for minor injuries, police and witnesses said.

The band’s lead singer, Serj Tankian, said late Monday that the concert sponsored by radio station KROQ was intended to be a “thank you” to fans on the eve of the release of the band’s new album.

“We’re from Los Angeles and we wanted to give them kind of a hometown thank you,” Tankian said. “But we’re definitely overwhelmed and stressed out at how things turned out.”

Fans had begun gathering early Monday for the concert, which was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in a parking lot on Schrader Boulevard near Sunset Boulevard. But as more young people arrived and began overflowing the lot, the crowd--inside and outside--grew unruly.

Police later estimated the crowd inside the fence at about 3,500 with several thousand more gathered outside.

Several in the crowd said the situation worsened dramatically when someone climbed on the stage and began pulling down a promotional banner. Apparently fearing the concert was being called off, the crowd milling about the stage started throwing quarters.

Then, “we ran out of change, so we started throwing bricks,” said Marc Klasno, 17, of Lawndale.

“People were tired of being here all day,” said Angel Plascencia, 17, of Sylmar. People started chanting insults and throwing objects, including water bottles, tennis shoes and stones, he said.

According to several people interviewed later, show organizers and others on the stage at times responded with taunts.

“The security didn’t even look prepared,” Plascencia said.

Police moved in when the crowd outside the fences burst through and rushed the stage, vandalizing and looting the equipment, in response to an announcement that the band would not perform.

Police spokesman Jason Lee said about 160 officers, including some on horseback, took about 30 minutes to disperse the crowd, using “less than lethal” riot control methods. He said he could not be more specific.

Several concertgoers later showed off bags of looted equipment, including microphones and amplifiers.

Tankian said the band lost all of its touring gear, including a drum set, guitars, basses and amplification equipment.

Tankian said he could not estimate the cost of replacing the equipment. He said he and other band members were distraught.

“It was meant to be a beautiful day in L.A.,” he said.

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Times staff writer Rebecca Trounson contributed to this story.