Sick, demented mask exhibit at museum leads to mass riot
Hundreds of ancient masks from the Brazilian rainforest on display at the Central Jerusalem museum causes uproar.
By RAN DIZENBUDTHE DEMENTED masks are shown minutes before they caused a terrible riot.(photo credit: REUTERS)
A badly organized and ill-conceived exhibition of demented, scary masks at the Central Jerusalem Museum of Art has caused a mass brawl.Hundreds of ancient masks from the Brazilian rainforest were on display at the museum.Curators inexplicably decided to place them in a darkened hall with a rotating strobe light, which caused the masks to appear to be moving.Some visitors freaked out and began to push.As one visitor recalled, “Suddenly there was pushing and shouting. Then some students began shouting ‘They are alive,’ and this caused a stampede.”Museum director Jim Bryber attempted to intercede after hearing of the commotion, but was stampeded. One report noted that he may have been carrying a mask, which he had attempted to rescue. His assistant, Beverly Waxstein, said “It was terrible, he loved those masks and unfortunately, he was attempting to rescue one of them and it must have become entangled on his head. The crowd thought he was an undead, possessed demon and bludgeoned him badly.”The museum is closed until further notice.
