Fans crushed at Eminem gig

Eminem was praised by police for his response to the incident

GLASGOW, Scotland -- Forty-five music fans received medical treatment after they were crushed at a concert featuring controversial rapper Eminem.

The incident happened 20 minutes after the Detroit rapper came on stage at the Gig on the Green festival, in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday.

The show was stopped while police and stewards helped to remove injured fans.

Before the rapper appeared on stage, announcements had been made by festival organisers asking people to stop surging forward.

A spokesman for the local ambulance service said 45 fans were treated at two local hospitals for minor injuries.

In a statement, a police spokesman said: "A number of people were removed from the crowd and after it was deemed safe Eminem came back on stage.

"No-one seriously injured thankfully, they are all walking wounded. The majority of people were treated at nearby first aid tents while others were taken to hospital as a precautionary measure."

The spokesman praised Eminem and his band for helping to ease the situation and complying with requests from organisers to ask fans to stop moving forward.

He said: "Eminem and his band did all they could to help the situation and we are grateful for his support."

Up to 35,000 people are expected to attend the two-day festival which also contains appearances by Marilyn Manson, The Cult, Papa Roach and Queens of the Stone Age.

The rapper returned to the stage 30 minutes after being told to remain backstage while the injured people were removed from the front of the crowd.

Susan McCarrol, 21, of Glasgow, who was at the sell-out show told the Press Association: "I was near the front and it was really scary. There was this mad surge of people and they kept moving forward.

"When it got too bad we just moved out of the way and decided to leave."

Eminem fan Stuart Ward, 26, of Paisley, said he and his two friends had also moved away from the front when they started to panic because too many people were moving near the stage.

He added: "We all wanted to see Eminem because it is not everyday that a star like him comes here, but it got just a bit too much."

Earlier, the event was at the centre of controversy after protesters targeted the festival's main U.S. attractions -- Eminem and Marilyn Manson.

Groups drawn from various religions handed out leaflets to young music fans as they made their way into the venue.

Protesters claimed Manson, in particular, used "extreme violence" and "short exercises of brutality" in his shows.

Around 100 people were involved in the protest including representatives of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Group, the Mormon Church and evangelists.

Spokeswoman Geraldine Green, a teacher in Glasgow, said: "The council should not be allowing children as young as 12 to see acts like this.

"We are not here to tell adults what they can and cannot see, but we believe the city council should be doing more to protect our young people.

"We are all responsible for protecting our children, but child protection goes beyond paedophilia. We should not be allowing the exposure of young minds to people like this."

Members of the Zion Baptist Church in Glasgow waved placards urging revellers to listen to God rather than "satan-worshipping Marilyn Manson."

Pastor Jack Glass, who lead the protest, said: "We have been handing out leaflets with words from the Gospel to people, particularly youngsters, who are coming and could very well be influenced by Manson's satanic claptrap and Eminem's nonsense.

"Manson is quite simply sending the wrong message across and who knows what people might think or do after hearing him in Glasgow.

"Manson brainwashes people and that is a dangerous thing."