Comments on: Beat by Beat: Opening Ceremonies

By: Star Wars Celebration IV: An Epic Blog « POP CULTURE PANOPTICON

Star Wars Celebration IV: An Epic Blog « POP CULTURE PANOPTICON — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 04:01:24 +0000

[...] You can see another fan

By: Pentaras

Pentaras — Mon, 28 May 2007 05:45:30 +0000

I can tell you guys that quite a few of us were completely unaware of what happened. I worked as a volunteer in the autograph hall, and, as such, was allowed to go in the VIP entrance. I got seated towards the middle, about 12 rows back. We watched the show from beginning to end, then went to our car and went home. I didn’t hear a thing until the next day, and, a couple of days later, I am only now becoming aware of the details. I am at a total loss to understand just what went wrong on all of this.

By: brand 'em'

brand 'em' — Sat, 26 May 2007 12:33:36 +0000

Lucas and staff, you should post a pr message addressing the bomb scare from last night.

After all, if not for the loyal fans, SW would not be where it is today.

By: VampireKitten

VampireKitten — Sat, 26 May 2007 11:23:16 +0000

Oh and here is the news story: http://cbs2.com/topstories/local_story_146031629.html

By: VampireKitten

VampireKitten — Sat, 26 May 2007 11:21:43 +0000

I was there and stayed UNTIL AFTER the nightmare was over. I was one of the many people who couldn’t get their car from the South garage.

After everyone left (they didn’t have to) or was forced to leave (they shouldn’t have been), we stayed for the “festivities”. 2 hours later, a cop waves us over from the crosswalk, assuming this was the “all clear” the tape started coming down and the “magical” LAPD had started departing.

At this point we had met someone who went to register for Saturday and he arrived just as the fiasco started. So you all know since it seems that no one has said anything about it yet, it is SAFE to go on Saturday. As soon as it was over they let us back into the building and I went straight from registration with a plethora of questions. They seemed to be just as lost as us and told us that the celebration continued as we we’re all left outside. They also said that the schedule went back to normal and things that we’re open as of 9pm had resumed (the Celebration store, fan films, etc).

The whole thing was awful and I was one of those people who was close to getting in, to make matters worse: they rushed everyone across a busy street, refused to let anyone get cars or bags and somehow thought that it would be intelligent to tell everyone to go home (without their cars).

Oh and PS: Rumors are lame, if you don’t know what is going on in a situation then don’t make assumptions.. it makes you look like an idiot and only makes matters worse in a “crisis”. Remember this is CA, things like this just come with the territory.

By: ana

ana — Sat, 26 May 2007 09:37:31 +0000

So is it safe to go tomorrow (Saturday) to the convention?

I don’t want to go and then people telling me that I need to go back because they evacuated the building.

I was in line with a friend and then all of the sudden all the crew(the guys in blue t-shirts with yellow letters) from the convention disappears and then someone comes out the door evacuating a lot of people, then he told all the people in line to leave the convention because is close for the night. So my friends starts to get scared but after asking more people we left the convention center, later we saw at the news that the star wars ceremony really took happen and they were singing happy birthday.

Then in the I check in the internet for more news and I saw this:

BAG OF CLOTHES EVACUATES STAR WARS CONVENTION

Traffic was briefly redirected Friday night after a suspicious package was found near the Los Angeles Convention Center where a “Star Wars” convention was underway, authorities said.

The package was found at 7:31 p.m. about 40 to 50 feet from the convention center by officers from Los Angeles’ Department of General Services’ Office of Public Safety, which protects Los Angeles city facilities, Los Angeles Police Lt. Paul Wilson said.

The package was found on Pico Boulevard between Cherry and Figueroa Streets, Wilson said.
Fire and police officials set up a perimeter and summoned a bomb squad to X-ray the package, and discovered that it only contained clothes, he said.
People were leaving the Convention Center when the package was found. Authorities controlled traffic briefly to keep people away from Pico Boulevard, he said.

No one was injured, and no evacuations were necessary, he said.
_______________________________________________________________________

>>So after reading all the posts and this I don

By: Raff Hall

Raff Hall — Sat, 26 May 2007 09:04:49 +0000

I could see what was happening on the stage and thought when the marching band and stormtroopers cleared the way we would be seated. The staff seemed confused so I must say the LAPD are to blame more so than Star Wars Celebration orginizers. The police here in L.A. cause riots and treat crowds like cattle all the time. Think nazi stormtroopers outside the hall and Empire stormtroopers inside the hall. I fear going to the convention center Saturday-Monday. Why was the mayor left inside a building if there was a bomb threat? Something sounds fishy and as Judge Judy says “if it doesn’t make sense, it isn’t true”.

By: Raff Hall

Raff Hall — Sat, 26 May 2007 08:27:02 +0000

Beat by Beat: Closing the Opening Ceremonies
I had bronchitis today and left the doctor’s office to get my antibiotics and make it to the Star Wars celebration. I have spent over $200 of my paycheck this week, getting into an “event” where the only thing to do is spend more money on Star Wars crap. Sure I love the toys but this was a public relations nightmare! I was 30 people from the door to the opening night’s entertainment only to get treated like cattle at a round up. I stood for 2 hours in a line too long to make it to a seat. No one told us anything helpful. News people (perhaps from ABC) came out saying why aren’t they letting more people in? GOOD QUESTION! Empty seats and 15-20 feet of empty space in the back made us think we were only seconds away from getting in. After the Mayor of L.A. introduced Lucas spokesman and host Sansweet. I saw a video of George Lucas welcoming a less than full auditorium and then confused staffers gathered around whispering and we were FORCED outside with no explanation. Police tape & firetrucks as well as police trucks and armed SWAT types would not allow people leaving to get to there checked bags or cars. The confussed staff for the event said “just cross the street. You can’t use the crosswalk” Traffic was not diverted and the fans who got into the event stayed inside while the LAPD treated the garage and sidewalk outside like a bomb scare was happening. I had to wait almost an hour for the shuttle bus to get the OK to leave and the driver wouldn’t take me to the scheduled stop I needed. SO…… back I went to the “crime scene”?!? I sat for 30 more minutes and then with only one other passenger than myself, I got dropped off. Star Wars HELLebration 4 was poorly run and the LAPD once again get a gold star for awful public relations weeks after beating & shooting rubber bullets at protesters and news people. I fear going back Saturday although I bought a 6 day pass. I hope as public relations spokesman Sansweet can fix the damage done by the handling of this emergency or lie or whatever it was.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Sat, 26 May 2007 07:12:09 +0000

This night was crazy. Me and my wife were ten feet from the door to the auditorium. We could see movies playing

By: Brandon

Brandon — Sat, 26 May 2007 07:02:46 +0000

Sorry…my correct blog address:

http://brandonweaver2.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-star-wars-celebration-iv-blew-up.html