Woodstock 2.0 now a distant possibility

New York - "It's a very, very different environment than it was 50 years ago."

Remember Woodstock? A freewheeling weekend of indulgence. A New York farm transformed by idealistic youths into a mid-size city. A celebration of rock music and utopian ideals. On its 50th anniversary today, Woodstock 2.0 looks unlikely in the wake of rampant mass shootings in America.

Major events in America now are not complete without metal detectors, bomb-sniffing dogs, bag inspections - and the ever-growing paranoia that a gunman could be in the crowd.

And law enforcement officials say the chances of a Woodstock-like gathering ever organically springing up again are slim.

"It's a very, very different environment than it was 50 years ago," said Stuart Cameron, the police chief in New York's Suffolk County on Long Island.
An event akin to the original Woodstock is "not something we would allow to have happen," Cameron said.

"We're concerned about the public safety risks." - AFP