Ln September 9, the organization of a major sporting event in France was once again singled out. The congestion at the entrance to the Marseille stadium before the England-Argentina rugby match echoes the chaotic evening of the Liverpool-Real Madrid Champions League final in May 2022 at the Stade de France. And, once again, the international press, particularly the British, castigates France for its inability to ensure security during such events. Are these failures simple hazards inherent to any organization of a major event, or should we see in them a worrying skills deficit, just one year before the Paris Olympic Games?
To answer this question, let’s look at the scientific advances of the last two decades devoted to the study of crowd behavior. This multidisciplinary research which encompasses psychology, cognitive sciences and physics has recently undergone major developments which have transformed approaches to crowd management and led to internationally recognized standards of good practice. However, France seems to be lagging behind in integrating these advances.
Take for example recent advances that highlight the central role of “collective identity”. This feeling of belonging to a group exerts a considerable influence on the behavior of the crowd, as the work of the British John Drury, Clifford Stott and Stephen Reicher has demonstrated. A strong collective identity can in fact give rise to reflexes of solidarity and mutual aid within the group, but also, conversely, conflicts with opposing groups perceived as hostile.
Smiling reception agents
Thus, it is essential that law enforcement and security personnel be viewed by the public not as authoritarian agents, but rather as enablers. In many countries, crowd management is thus oriented towards dialogue and service. The concept of “good hosting”for example, which notably replaces uniformed security agents with stewards during international football matches, or football teams “smilers”, these smiling reception agents deployed at certain European festivals, go in this direction: inform, welcome and create proximity with the public. In France, the security of events seems, on the contrary, to be thought of in terms of surveillance and control, generating a damaging social distance from the crowd.
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