Seemed rather suspect some obviously phoney bills would
cause a stampede.

LA Times report:

Four minutes after police in Shanghai said the Bund area was full and advised locals to go elsewhere for their New Year’s celebration, a stampede erupted late Wednesday.

Just before the stampede began, the Shanghai police department posted a picture on its official social media account on Weibo.com showing the Bund area filled with people coming to celebrate the New Year.

http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la...231-story.html