Terror at Worst Ever Beatles Riot

 Terror at Worst Ever Beatles Riot

By Don Short

Daily Mirror

September 2, 1965

    The fantastic siege of San Francisco is over. Tomorrow, before breakfast, The Beatles will be safely back in Britain, sighing with relief.

     For Beatlemania brought its most frightening toll here last night. They are still counting the casualties after the Beatles' second late-night show at the Cow Palace Stadium; at least 94 teenagers were injured in the crush. Another 231 have been treated for hysterical collapse. Three policemen were knocked out.

     I have seen Beatlemania from its early days, but at the 100 Beatle concerts I've seen, I cannot recall scenes quite as frightening as those last night. The chaos reached a danger point when a great wall of teenagers hurled themselves at a crush barrier to reach the stage and the Beatles.

    . Police Chief Captain David Hanson shouted as he leaped onto the stage, "I've got to stop the show. Otherwise, we'll have a major disaster on our hands. Some of these kids will get killed out there!"

    Then, for the third time, Beatle Paul McCartney pleaded with the crazed fans, "Take it easy!" He yelled down the microphone, "Some are being trampled underneath."

     Somehow, the Beatles managed to get through two more songs. They decided to cut three other numbers, and the show ended. By now, the whole of the stage area was in complete chaos. Unconscious teenagers were plucked from beneath the surging mass and dragged across the stage. Others pretended to faint, hoping they would get a chance to grab the Beatles, but the four idols, surrounded by policemen, were quickly whisked away. 

    More than 325,000 fans have watched the Beatles at their 16 concerts during this second American tour of theirs, a tour that has earned them a million dollars. Their last two concerts here in San Francisco have proved one Beatle theory to be correct, that Beatlemania has never died. It's just that police security has managed to keep it under control, but not in San Francisco last night.

     Just before 7am tomorrow, four tired Beatles will return to London. They will take a holiday before starting recording sessions and making plans for their next film.

     In New York. It was announced that The Beatles' record "Help!" had climbed to the number one position in the show business weekly variety poll.