Jenni Rivera: Illegal immigrants might have trouble getting in to service
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Tickets for singer Jenni Rivera’s memorial at the Gibson Amphitheatre sold out minutes after they became available online, but some critics said a decision to require a credit card and photo ID is excluding illegal immigrants from attending.
The venue holds more than 6,100 people.
The Mexican American banda singer and six other people were killed Dec. 9 when a Learjet 25 crashed near Iturbide, Mexico.
PHOTOS: Fans remember Jenni Rivera
In an effort to prevent ‘improper’ transactions, LiveNation required that those seeking seats use their credit cards to obtain a ticket for the Wednesday memorial. The tickets are free, but a $1 refundable fee was assessed. Ticketholders will be required to bring their credit cards and a matching photo ID to gain entrance.
That requirement excluded Rivera’s fans who don’t have a photo ID or credit card, said Josh Kun, associate professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
He tweeted his criticism Tuesday afternoon: “I have a ticket to the Jenni memorial only because I have a credit card and web access #LiveNation #CulturalFail. It’s the privatization and politicization of mourning.”
In particular, it would exclude undocumented immigrants, wrote Gabriel San Roman for the O.C. Weekly.
“This, even though Rivera’s music and life resonated with them deeply,” Roman said. Live Nation could not immediately be reached for comment.
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