Ricky Martin safe after 'tear gas' or maybe pepper spray? stops his concert in Montenegro

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Ricky Martin had to stop his concert Thursday in Montenegro after someone in the audience “discharged tear gas toward the stage,” causing an “abrupt” interruption to the show as fans retreated and got any needed medical attention, the singer’s publicist said in a statement posted on Instagram.The show did go on.Though it lasted only 30 seconds, Martin’s Super Bowl moment was a symbolic demonstration of how far Latin music has come in the United States.“As a precautionary measure, Ricky Martin and his entire team exited the stage while security personnel and local authorities worked to contain the situation and ensure the safety of those in attendance,” the statement said.“We didn’t understand what was happening,” one shaken Montenegran concertgoer said on Instagram during the outdoor show.

“Suddenly, people started pushing each other, and we smelled pepper spray.Many people quickly covered their mouths and left the area.

I don’t know if there’s still anyone in the area right now.I didn’t see what the police did.

I can hear that the concert has started again, but I left the area.I hope everyone is OK.”Whether the substance was tear gas — which, incidentally, is a powder, not a gas — or pepper spray is unclear.

Both substances have similarly irritating effects, despite different ingredients.Tear gas is typically employed by law enforcement for crowd control while pepper spray is often used by individuals for self-defense, according to hazmat and crime-scene cleanup company Bio Recovery, which operates mainly in the American south.

Both substances can disperse widely in the air.Martin, 54, decided to resume the show once authorities said everything was back under control even though “members of the artist’s team advised against continuing the performance,” the publicist’s statement explained.After Bad Bunny’s album of the year Gra...