UNDER THE HIGH PATRONAGE OF HIS MAJESTY KING MOHAMMED VI

Security

Security

The Mawazine Festival must find the right balance between the spirit of music celebration and openness offered to the spectators and security requirements necessary for the smooth running of the event. Hundreds of security specialists are trained and employed each year by the Festival to insure the welcoming and security of the spectators, the security of the artists and of the entire Festival. With 2.5 million spectators last year and a large number of foreign participants, including many celebrities; security is a key parameter of the Festival and a main concern. Due to the rising affluence of the event, with peaks that have certain evenings exceeded hundreds of thousands of people, the organizers have put in place strict security measures based on international standards. The security policy of the Festival corresponds to a series of means in various fields (surveillance, video surveillance, security, fire, vandalism, bodyguards) all aiming towards the same goal: to secure festivalgoers to the maximum and host them under optimal conditions. This is why each site hosts a Point of security command where all the relevant authorities are found. Connected to the central security forces at the police headquarters in Rabat, each PC has a means of telecommunications and self-surveillance cameras. Cameras continuously scan all areas accessible to the public, as well as technical and neighboring areas. Equipped with laser sighting devices, these cameras are highly accurate and can detect any suspicious objects. Private security agents dispatched according to the importance of each stage also provide the physical safety of the festivalgoers. They are the ones who control the way in and out, as well as the organization of access roads and permanent availability of emergency exits. Furthermore, agents of Public Security control the road network, access roads and all the areas likely to undergo heavy traffic whether at the venues or in the entire city of Rabat. These include police and agents of the National Security (anti-riot), auxiliary forces, security services (clearance, dog squad) and agents of civil protection. They are responsible for the implementation of first aid units at each site, as well as the continuous presence of emergency trucks in case of a medical or other crisis that could occur at the Festival. Because ensuring the safety of a free festival, taking place at the heart of the city, is a particularly complex task, nothing is left to chance. In 2011, a list of venues with the capacity of hosting the Festival was made with the local authorities. The selected sites were chosen after field trips and analysis of various parameters including information on population figures, number of access roads and exits, the presence of circulation corridors, etc. For the public to attend shows in the best conditions, a safety study is also performed for each edition, in order to guarantee, depending on areas, roads and emergency exits. All security measures for traffic control require about a month of preparation. These studies, as well as the final infrastructure designs were tested and validated by an expert in fire prevention regulations for areas hosting the public: fire and weather crisis, presence and reactivity at emergency points, accessibility for the disabled, etc… Each file is also subject to a second review by the Wilaya, the Civil Protection and the National Directorate of Security. Finally, throughout the Festival, an additional company (expert in the field of security) monitors and controls the implementation of safety infrastructures. Result: compliant to international standards, all Mawazine venues are able to host the public under optimal security conditions. Regarding the exterior of stage areas, the National Security of course performs its mission of securing public places to ensure citizen tranquility. Courtesy, respect and patience from each and everyone will facilitate the success of every event. To avoid the risk of loss or theft of personal belongings, the spectator must avoid bring objects of value to the Festival. Giant video screens relay the concerts on the main stages, allowing audiences to follow performances in optimal conditions. These screens are made to avoid the spectator getting to close to the stage and therefore avoid pushing fellow festivalgoers. Also, we inform you that we make video recordings during the concerts for immediate use (broadcast on giant screens), and for later use (recordings of some of the artists performances) or for security reasons (prevention of crowd movements). If there is a sudden crowd movement during a concert, do not try to resist the pressure. Instead, try to move away from the people in the audience who are pushing forward. Please don’t stand there with small children and don’t forget to drink lots of water. In case of an incident, please follow instructions issued by the organizers.

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