UK: Police spell out illegal rave warning – December 2002 Police spell out illegal rave warning
Published by East Anglian Times - 30 November 2002
Copyright: East Anglian Times
POLICE in Essex have reiterated their strong stance against illegal raves, saying the county is a "no-go" area for them.
But rave organisers have hit out at the policy, claiming officers make it impossible for them to be held even when landowners have agreed an event can take place.
Measures being taken by police include advising organisers not to go ahead with unlicensed raves they have heard about, and moving in to shut down an illegal rave which is in progress. The police are working with district councils and other agencies to tackle the problem.
But a spokesman for rave organisers Pulse-8, who did not wish to be named, said they wanted to co-operate with police.
He said: "Unfortunately Essex Police are making it almost impossible for us to hold a licensed rave.
"We have found places before where the farmer has given permission and the police have gone to them and told them it is a bad idea and not to do it.
"They could save an awful lot of man hours if they assigned one person to liaise with us properly rather than all the officers it takes to close down a rave. What do they expect us to do?"
But Chief Supt Ian Brown, head of Essex Police Mobile Support Division, said: "Anyone who feels the police are being killjoys should think again.
"Organisers who profit from large-scale events without a public entertainment licence, and the safety measures the licence requires, are putting people at risk. Essex Police wants to prevent anyone coming to harm.
"It adds insult to injury when rave promoters believe they have a right to invade other people's property, without any consent being sought, to make money from these events."
Legislation specifically prohibits open air raves, which became fashionable during the early 1990s.
They were made illegal because of the potential nuisance they could cause and fears about safety.
Colin Daines, environmental protection service manager for Colchester Borough Council, said the council worked closely with the police if an illegal rave caused problems.
He said the council had a two-fold responsibility, for making sure the correct public entertainment license had been obtained and for possibly seizing sound equipment or prosecuting organisers if a noise nuisance was caused.
In May, a man from Basildon, in south Essex, who held an event attended by around 300 people in his own outbuilding was jailed for three months and ordered to pay £2,500 costs by Southend magistrates for not obtaining a liquor licence or a public entertainment licence.
UK: Glastonbury festival refused licence – Michael Eavis to appeal – December 2002 Glastonbury festival refused licence - Michael Eavis to appeal
Published by eFestivals - Wednesday 12th December 2002
Copyright: eFestivals
Back at Mendip District Council for another marathon Glastonbury Public Entertainments Licence (PEL) hearing. It's becoming like a second home.
Michael Eavis arrived just before the 6pm start, and there was the chance for a quick word. When asked what he felt the chances were the reply was "50-50".
It's the Regulatory Board that decides on the granting of the PEL. After the introductions and the obligatory bureaucratic legalese, it was down to business.
For the applicant – Glastonbury Festivals (2003) Ltd (which is Glastonbury Festivals (2002) Ltd after a rename) – Mark Cann ran through the application.
He started by stating the successes of this year: the new management structure; dealing with the New Age Travellers; the marketing plan – getting the "No Ticket – No Festival" message across; the fence and the numbers on site; the safety management; operations control. These were all things demanded at the licence hearing for 2002, and successfully delivered.
There had also been tri-partate agreements made with Avon & Somerset Constabulary (ASC) and the Council, with co-operation creating solutions. To ensure the successes aren't short lived, they are continuing to work together to solve problems that exist in other areas – the main one being the crime and general annoyance suffered by those living around the Festival site, in particular Pilton.
To ensure the security measures continue to work, there's to be new and extra security measures on the tickets, as well as a new pass system. The fence is to stay much the same, but security is to have an increase in personnel size of 35%, and there'll be additional security control, car park security & lighting, as well as more CCTV. For obvious reasons, the details weren't disclosed.
An area of concern after this year was the campervan fields: they're to be properly and securely enclosed, but still off the main site. However, a secure route to the site will be made.
The "No Ticket – No Festival" message is to be continued, but with "You've helped save the Festival now give it a future" added. It's important for its continuance that no one comes without a ticket. Mark stated that he believed that the "fence jumper" culture had been broken.
The traffic exit plan is to be improved, to speed up the Monday getaway. To help, the production de-rig is to be delayed until late on Monday, and the traders discouraged from leaving.
Public transport coped well, and the car parks easily accommodated the 26,000 cars. In fact, with a capacity of 40,000, they are spaces to accommodate the increased numbers expected in 2003 – the licence application is for 150,000 (that's 112,500 weekend tickets for sale, 3,500 Sunday tickets and 34,000 staff/performers, etc. That's no increase in staff/performers, which isn't fantastic news I feel). The ticket price has yet to be set.
Noise from the site is a nuisance to those living nearby, but this will be lessened because there's to be one less venue (which wasn't disclosed – we presume it's the Experience Tent), and the cinema is to be moved.
There was a lot of pollution to the water courses around the site – DON'T PISS IN THE HEDGES! To help improve things, they'll be fencing along streams, a PR campaign, more urinals (although they already exceed industry standards) and the long-drop toilets are to be made watertight. There was a leak this year, and that was the major cause of the pollution. The amazing amount of litter produced (but no more than we'd produce at home – I think one councillor thought we create no rubbish when at home) is to be better managed - including a review of the free on-site newspaper as that causes a litter problem.
The main concern though was what was happening outside the fence. GFL recognise the problems, and are having ongoing discussions with the surrounding villages to come up with the right solutions. GFL have promised to provide 24 hour cover (in 3 shifts) of a police sergeant and 6 PCs to be stationed in Pilton (over and above what the police themselves consider necessary) as well as other extra security measures.
As the meeting progresses, it becomes evident that there is a small group – about 15 – of locals present who are fed up with the problems the Festival causes them. As Mark tries to continue through the extra village measures, their moaning becomes ever louder. As Mark tries to finish off with "it was always a great festival and now it's a well managed and well planned festival" a voice is clearly heard to say "you don't give a stuff and you never have". Mark insists that they "can work together to solve outstanding problems".
It becomes clear that the villagers present were not happy with the security personel this year, and demand extra police rather than private security.
The Council's own officer – Chris Malcolmson – now delivers his report. His responsibility is ensuring compliance of any laws as well as any specific PEL conditions. He believes that the "issues of the villagers have been addressed in the application, or will be in the licence", and sees no reason to refuse the PEL. He believes that the vast majority of non-ticket holders were intent on crime rather than getting inside the site, and says that if the unofficial car parks were stopped then there would be nowhere for the criminals to park. GFL are attempting to come to arrangements with those involved, but there is then some discussion on what measures could be taken against those operators. The words used to explain the Police refusal to comment I understood to mean they believed that those operators could be committing an offence for which they could be prosecuted.
Chief Superintendent John Buckley (of ASC) wasn't very supportive of the 2002 application. I remember sitting through about an hour and a half of his concerns at the beginning of the year. The change now is astounding. He is brief, and generally supportive. A very good summary was given: "If we felt these measures were inadequate we would be objecting". From a man who hates to commit to anything, that's as strong words of support as he's ever likely to give.
Of the ticket-less outside, he believes that the majority were intent on crime. He mentions that there are 5 police forces around the country that suffer similarly from criminals at large events, and they are starting to plan joint action to tackle it.
Although there is good support from the Police, the Council's compliance officer and others such as the Fire Service, during questions and discussions it's becoming clear that there is stronger and more confident opposition from some members of the Regulatory Board. I'm starting to get worried about which way it will go.
It's the public's chance to express their concerns next. They are reminded that each new speaker is not to cover ground raised by previous speakers. They're aware of this, and all but one speak from pre-prepared notes. This is obviously a concerted campaign.
These people are obviously very unhappy about the problems the Festival cause them, and I'm sure have good reasons for their unhappiness. But for most, I'm not convinced that any measures would be enough – they want shot of the festival, for good, and suggestions are made that it should find another site (where exactly? I don't think anywhere new would be welcoming of a festival even half its size.)
Here are some quotes (these are VERY typical – not choice selections!):
"a war-zone"
"a very real threat to public order"
"to approve the application would be a mockery ... elected members don't really represent those who elected them"
"has the Council considered that the Festival would be offensive to Muslims ..." [not some Muslims, all of them, apparently – ed] "... and as such would be the target for a terrorist attack". [Because of course, all Muslims are terrorists, aren’t they? - ed]
"we are not going to remain victims of this Festival – we will fight back"
"significant environmental damage"
These are such a lovely bunch of people, I wish I was married to them. One lady in the gallery was heard to say "hippies" with total disgust ... but I'm convinced she'd be welcoming of those of a different skin colour.
In the end, the major discussion was about Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. It appeared those against had been doing a LOT of homework. This law places a poorly defined (if the words used in the hearing were accurate) obligation on a council to ensure it doesn't do things to increase crime in its area. The Council's own solicitor seemed to think the Council would not be breaking Section 17 by granting a PEL, whilst the objectors did. Although other legal reasons to refuse the PEL were tossed around – such as the fitness of the applicant to run the event (including a rather underhand attempt to have Michael Eavis branded a criminal), and the environmental damage, this was the one used with the fullest force.
When it came to the vote a motion was put to refuse the PEL. It went 5-4 for the motion, and against the Festival. Michael immediately left the room, and missed a second vote, also carried 5-4; that they'd welcome another application from GFL, but for a different site. Quite why they didn't get on the horse themselves to run Michael out of town I don’t know.
After a few minutes to compose himself, Michael emerged to state that an appeal (which is heard by magistrates – essentially to see if the Regulatory Board had given proper legal reasons for refusal) would be lodged in the morning. The Festival has been refused a licence before, has always appealed, and has always won. (The licence application wasn't heard in 2001 - it was withdrawn when it became obvious that it would be legitimately refused.)
On speaking to some of those involved – all off the record (but not just those close to GFL) there was a very strong opinion that the Festival has very strong grounds for an appeal. I think it unlikely that a magistrate would believe the Regulatory Board's grounds that Pilton couldn't be properly policed when the Police themselves believe it can.
GFL has put in extraordinary efforts over the last year and did everything expected and requested in putting on the 2002 Festival. It feels unfair in the extreme that it is now penalised for aspects reasonably outside of its control - certainly much of it outside the licenced area - while at the same time it is willing to put in the necessary effort - and funds - to resolve those problems this time around.
We hope - and expect - the appeal to succeed. We'll have details when available.
http://www.efestivals.co.uk/about
US: Safe party challenges stereotypes – November 2002 Safe party challenges stereotypes
By SJ.com - Tuesday 15th October, 2002
Copyright: SJ.com
About 300 revelers crept back home early Sunday morning after dancing all night under black lights, neon canopies and the stars at an outdoor party northwest of Salem.
The event, which ran from about midnight to 7 a.m., had carnival lights, day-glow signs and a pulsing, dancing crowd.
It resembled a rave.
But unlike a rave, which is known for illegal drug activity, the party at the horse camp at the 4-H Center northwest of Salem was more about music and dancing than anything else.
A true rave is an illegal event lacking insurance, security or permits. Sunday morning’s party met all the legal requirements.
There have been several of these events in the Salem area in the last four years, but police say they have not heard of any problems associated with them.
Those who filed out of the open-air center Sunday morning were students, employees and parents from all over the Willamette Valley. Most appeared to be in their 20s, but some were as young as 16 and as old as 38.
Their night had started hours earlier at a Salem coffee shop where they paid for an admission wrist band and a map showing the location of the party.
Heather Schwalm, 19, said she and her friends came from Canby for the music and the community.
Instructions led Schwalm and others to the secluded horse camp. Torches lit the path to the three dance floors where several DJs produced a constant flow of rhythm.
Some people twirled flaming balls while others danced with illuminated batons. There were glowing blue bubbles, neon signs and laser lights.
Organizers said drugs were prohibited — fliers specifically instructed people not to bring them. But everything from pot to acid was still accessible.
Like any other event, there will be some people who do that, said co-organizer Katharine Army.
“But if (security) finds them, they do get kicked out,” she said.
She and her two partners have been organizing similar parties around Salem and Eugene for four years. Army said she got into the scene when she discovered that similar parties were a safe place to dance without getting groped like she did at clubs.
The Salem Police Department and the Willamette Valley 911 Center received no complaints about the party.
“Up to this point, Salem has not experienced any problems with raves under the truest sense,” said Lt. Ed Boyd with the Salem Police Department.
He said raves in other areas do hire security, but it’s often lax.
“But I would hate to comment on this one because I don’t have details as far as what the entire party was all about,” he said.
Sixteen-year-old Kassie Olivera and her friend Pamela French were among the younger partygoers. They checked out the fire dancers before driving home to Independence.
Olivera’s stepfather was the one who suggested that the girls go to the dance party, she said.
“He said it was a safe rave, and I’ve never been to one before.”
Salem nursing student Jami Bingham said she came out with friends to listen to good music.
She said a lot of people don’t understand what these parties are all about, but most think they do.
“It’s just a stereotype,” she said. “It happens to every generation.
“Raves are not all like that,” she said, referring to the drug atmosphere at a typical rave.
For Toby Jewett and his crew of fire dancers, the event was clearly about the music and the performance.
The Willamette University physics student organized a fire twirling group of Willamette students called the Alchemists.
“It’s a performing opportunity and a way to express myself in a relatively unique art form,” he said.
On Sunday afternoon, Jewett and his crew had plans to do everything from studying to making a presentation before the Willamette University Finance Board.
They were among the others who sleepily returned to homework, jobs and families on Sunday.
http://www.statesmanjournal.com/
UK: Rave causes £150,000 damage – November 2002 Rave causes £150,000 damage
By This is London - Monday October 28, 2002
Copyright: This is London
As the parent company of non-stop music channel MTV, Viacom Europe is more tolerant than most to loud noise and outrageous behaviour.
But even the executives of Viacom were rattled when a 24-hour rave was held in one of their buildings in Camden. And they were shocked when police seemingly turned a blind eye to the illegal event.
Dwight Tierney, vice-president of Viacom Europe, said: "To say we were stunned by the police reaction is an understatement. Damage estimated at £150,000 was caused to our premises but the police stood by and did nothing.
"We are outraged at the behaviour of the police officials and are appalled at the excuses."
Viacom's troubles came to a head when hundreds of ravers poured into the former headquarters of the company's advertising arm, Viacom Outdoor, in Jamestown Road.
Security staff in their new building nearby alerted the police, who said they would not attend.
More phone calls eventually prompted a lone police officer to investigate but he said there was nothing that could be done.
Mr Tierney said: "We were astonished by the reaction. The police tried to suggest it was simply a noise issue but we pointed out that our office had been broken into, criminal damage was taking place and equipment was being stolen.
"The police fiddled while we, figuratively speaking, were burning. They said they had higher priorities to deal with and just left us to it."
Environmental health officers from Camden council said they had the power to shut down the rave because of the noise but could only act with police support.
Again, Mr Tierney says, the police refused to intervene.
Viacom staff only managed to regain control of the building when the rave petered out, almost 24 hours after it began.
Mr Tierney said: "The scene afterwards was horrible. Partitions and ceilings had been destroyed, carpets ripped up, equipment stolen, graffiti scrawled on the walls and the building used as a toilet. It was an atrocious sight.
"We had been hoping to let out the building to another company but that's no longer possible. When we comto the police they refused to apologise and said if they were faced with the same circumstances again, they would react in the same way. We made dozens of phone calls but were fobbed off with excuse after excuse."
Mr Tierney said the company, which employs 500 people in Camden, was now considering its future in the area. MTV Europe, whose presenters include Cat Deeley and Lisa Snowdon, took over its Camden headquarters in 1993. Mr
Tierney added: "This rave is the culmination of a series of problems we have encountered. We have seen and experienced increasing violence, theft, intimidation and illegal drug activity around our offices, while in June there was a drive-by shooting directly opposite our building."
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said they were only made aware of the rave, which took place earlier this month, once it was under way.
He added: "Every inciplained-dent of this type is dealt with on an individual basis. Although the majority are broken up and the people dispersed, on this occasion it was felt there would be fewer policing problems if we monitored the rave rather than closed it down."
Scotland Yard named Camden as one of London's hot-spots for gun crime involving drug-dealing gangs in a report last year.
http://www.eveningstandard.co.uk/
World: Goa could be a target for Al Qaeda – November 2002 Goa could be a target for Al Qaeda
By reddif.com - October 23, 2002
Copyright: reddif.com
The bomb blast in Bali, Indonesia, that killed more than 180 people on October 13 ought to be an eye-opener for India, considering that Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda may target more such international tourist destinations.
"We have not received anything alarming from the intelligence agencies following the Bali bomb blast," Deputy Inspector General of Police (Goa) Karnal Singh said.
With all its tourist traffic, Goa is considered a soft target for cross-border terrorism. The Hindu-dominated state with a minuscule Muslim population is famous for its sandy beaches and semi-Western culture. The coast, the most popular tourist destination in the state, is predominantly Christian.
Like Bali, Goa has a total population of only 1.3 million while 1.2 million tourists visit it every year, mainly in the peak season from October to January. Already, tourists from all over the world have started flocking to the state.
Along with tourism come all kind of criminal activities, including the illegal sale of drugs, illegally organised rave parties, and even paedophilia rings, mostly in collusion with the local police and politicians.
Over 3,000 Kashmiris also camp in the coastal belt from September to April, selling carpets and such other indigenous products. But with few customers seen at these shops, the police say that selling drugs may be their real profession.
"The terrorists taking advantage of the presence of Kashmiris in Goa cannot be denied," DIG Singh said, but claimed that the police are keeping a watch on them as well as outsiders visiting madrassas (Islamic seminaries) in the state.
In fact, it is not just the Bali incident that should alert Indian intelligence to the need to improve security in Goa. The state has been a target in the past. Two years ago, Deendar Anjuman, an organisation that has since been banned, had organised simultaneous bomb blasts in Hyderabad, Bangalore, and Goa. A bomb was planted outside a church in the port town of Vasco.
Incidentally, bomb hoaxes have also become the order of the day. In recent days, at least five calls were made from public telephone booths that bombs had been planted in the chief minister's car, a village that a central minister from Goa was visiting, at a private bank, Old Goa, and in the Goa Medical College Hospital. "Either it is a cranky person or somebody testing how alert the police is," DIG Singh said.
The officer, however, does not deny that Goa is considered a safe haven for criminals since several robbers and dacoits from Moradabad, Saharanpur, and other such places in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have been found hiding here. "Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid [in December 1992], hundreds of locals from these places had gone to Pakistan. They have now come back after proper military training," he said.
Within a month, the police are to begin organised patrolling by forming beats. The personnel on the beat will move from house to house, informing people that they will be available for any eventuality. Besides serving the people, the police expect this move to help them improve their intelligence network. In fact, Singh said, this is the best way to tackle terrorism, as terrorists always depend on local contacts.
http://www.rediff.com/index.html
UK: Urban farming ‘like war zone’ – November 2002 Urban farming 'like war zone'
By BBC news - Monday, 21 October, 2002
Copyright: BBC news
Farming on the edge of towns and cities is like working in a "war zone", according to hundreds of farmers trying to make a living on the urban fringe.
Prostitution, joy-riding and illegal raves were just some of the problems encountered, according to a survey of 2,000 farmers published on Monday.
Some 32,000 farms in England and Wales now operate on the edges of towns and cities.
The National Farmers Union (NFU) says that for many urban farms the problems of close proximity to highly populated areas make for tough and unique challenges.
Unexpected problems
Almost 70% suffer from fly-tipping - the dumping of industrial and domestic waste on farmland - while a third have problems with travellers camping on their land.
Joy-riding is a common headache, with almost half of respondents - 43% - complaining of the menace.
NFU environment chairman John Seymour said: "Many farmers on the edges of towns and cities sometimes feel it is like working in a war zone.
"They report a grim list of problems from vandalism to prostitution that you wouldn't expect to find in the countryside."
The NFU intends to lobby national and local government for a number of measures, including more visible policing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
US: Ravers make their return – October 2002 Ravers make their return
By JSO- October 15th 2002
Copyright: JSO
In their first appearance en masse in a city that all but ran them out of town a decade ago, ravers brought their all-night dance party back to Milwaukee on Saturday.
In classic rave form, about 1,000 partyers learned of the "secret" location by calling a hotline just hours before festivities started. But once they figured out where to go, the ravers descended on the three-story Menomonee Valley warehouse that houses Trounce Records, a retail store and independent record label at 422 N. 15th St.
And while the typical heavy bass techno beats, colorful clothing and New Age flower-child vibe abounded, conspicuously absent was the highly visible drug use that marred these types of events in the past. Police made no drug arrests, although there were indications that at least some of those present indulged in illegal drugs.
Efforts were made to discourage drug use, said 25-year-old Ryan Clancy, the "Regroup" party's head promoter and owner of Trounce Records.
Clancy wanted to avoid a repeat of the Oct. 31, 1992, "Halloween Grave Rave," the infamous and perhaps the last of the large-scale raves in Milwaukee, until this weekend. Hundreds were arrested for illegal drug use and possession when Milwaukee police raided the Grave Rave.
Since then, any Wisconsin resident craving a traditional warehouse rave has had to travel to Fond du Lac, Madison, Chicago and Rockford, Ill., among other places.
Clancy was aware of the high-profile shutdown in May of raves in Madison's Alliant Energy Center, following reports of blatant Ecstasy use at the parties.
"The fact is, raves have really taken a big hit for some high-profile negative things in just a few places," Clancy said. "I tell people all the time that most of these parties are about dancing to good music with good people.
"We've been thinking for some time that we wanted to bring the rave, the big warehouse party, back to Milwaukee County. But we wanted to do it right, in a safe building that was up to code, with good security and people who wanted to dance, not pass drugs."
Police presence
Nonetheless, Milwaukee police took no chances. They made two visits - from about 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m and again from about 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. - to the Trounce building to inspect the facility, lecture Clancy on general safety issues, and poke around for Ecstasy and other drugs often found at raves.
In the end, the officers left the party admitting to Clancy and his security staff that they hadn't seen anything out of line.
To Laura Ross, 20, the evening was a perfect opportunity to say, "I told you so."
Ross, a "candy kid" who goes by "Aurora" at rave parties, drove with several friends from the Indianapolis area to attend the Trounce party. She gladly paid the admission price of a $14.99 CD purchase and a canned food for charity.
"Candy kids" are the peaceniks of the rave scene who tend to identify themselves by the ropes of candy jewelry wrapped around their arms and necks. Dancing to the beats of DJ 2 Tru, Ross said that their message is simple: "peace, love, unity and respect . . . whoever you are."
Terry Christensen, 19, likes to think of himself as a "normal raver."
"You won't see me in crazy clothes or popping pills or doing any other drug like that," he said. "I'm not saying the kids in the clothes are doing that stuff . . . even though we know some are. But I'm kinda like them in that I'm mostly just here for the music. Listen to it. It's great. But if we're gonna do anything bad, I'd guess a lot of us probably drank (alcohol) before we got here."
For all of the cheer and good feelings, not everyone at the party got the no-drug memo.
In one corner of the makeshift dance floor on the building's third-story was the unmistakable odor of marijuana.
Carissa Cornwell, 22, said she used to indulge in party drugs but cleaned up her act after a close friend overdosed. For the past few years, Cornwell has been traveling the state to different raves as a representative of Dance Safe, a San Francisco-based drug education group.
A common presence at raves in many cities now, Dance Safe representatives offer to test on the spot any pill a curious raver brings to them at a party.
They test for several drugs, she said.
If the presence of any of those drugs is found, the representatives explain to the raver how they can affect a person.
"It's up to them after that, but we want them to be aware of what is in this stuff before they just swallow it," Cornwell said. "We're not the police, but we want people to make the right decision."
Four ravers asked that their pills be tested Saturday night.
Clancy said this weekend's rave should bode well for future dance parties in the city.
"No one was hurt, no one was arrested, and we collected at least 1,000 canned goods for a food bank," he said. "It was a party. Let's hope this means more to come."
http://www.jsonline.com/
UK: Five freed on bail after illegal rave – October 2002 Five freed on bail after illegal rave
By EADT - October 15th 2002
Copyright: EADT
FIVE people have been released on police bail after being arrested in connection with drug offences following an illegal 10-hour rave.
They were arrested as 1,000 revellers packed into a warehouse on the old Shawlands site on the Chilton Industrial Estate in Sudbury on Saturday night.
A 19-year-old man from Diss was questioned and was later released on police bail until December 1.
Four men aged 19, 21, 24 and 25 from Bury St Edmunds and Rougham, who were also arrested on suspicion of drugs offences, were given police bail until November 16.
Suffolk police were called to the party, which took place without prior notice to the relevant authorities, after several complaints from residents about noise.
Although the revellers who attended the rave, which began at 10pm on Saturday and lasted until 8am on Sunday, were generally well-behaved, some people have been left concerned over safety issues.
Sudbury county councillor Nick Irwin said: “Although they might be fun, there are health and safety factors to consider. Nightclubs have trained staff who can search people for weapons and look out for drugs.”
A Suffolk police spokesman said their investigations were continuing to trace the organisers of the illegal rave.
“We did receive a number of complaints about noise and we have now released the five people who were arrested on suspicion of drug-related offences on police bail,” he added.
US: Rave organizers evicted from warehouse – October 2002 Rave organizers evicted from warehouse
By BBC News - October 15th 2002
Copyright: BBC News
The organizers of a large-scale warehouse rave party learned Monday that they have been ousted from the building in which they held the all-night event on Saturday.
The all-night party, organized by Poopiehead Productions and Trounce Records, drew at least 500 ravers to Trounce's three-story warehouse building at 422 N. 15th St. in the Menomonee Valley.
Gary Zeller, an organizer of the "Regroup" party, said a representative of Trounce's landlord, Action Property Management, contacted Trounce officials Monday and told them that their month-to-month lease was being terminated and that they had 60 days to vacate the premises.
Zeller said the property management company did not cite specific lease violations and suggested only that the company did not want to "deal with what they felt might be a hassle involving police and city officials" over rave parties.
Zeller questioned the timing of the landlord's eviction notice, saying Trounce's lease contained a clause that said the company could not be ousted between November and March.
A telephone call to Action Property Management Monday afternoon went unanswered.
The last large-scale rave in Milwaukee, the "Halloween Grave Rave" in 1992, was raided by Milwaukee Police, and 900 people were arrested for a variety of drug possession and drug-use violations.
Police visited Saturday's 9 p.m.-6 a.m. rave twice between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., but no partygoers were arrested.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK: Agreement made to end misery of all-night rave – September 2002 Agreement made to end misery of all-night rave
By The Barnet and Potters Bar Times - Sept 18 2002
Copyright: The Barnet and Potters Bar Times
In the past, the borough's police and council officers have blamed each other for failing to stop illegal raves that have lasted up to 23 hours.
But both signed an agreement last Thursday designed to make it easier to curb nuisance noise although it left some residents at a loss to see how it would save them from sleepless nights.
"The noise pollution protocol is not a magic spell to end all illegal raves," said borough commander Chief Superintendent Sue Akers.
"It sets out clearly who is responsible for what. The borough doesn't get raves very often."
Three illegal raves have been held in the borough this year all in disused warehouses in West Hendon and Staples Corner. When 300 revellers descended on the former Frank Usher factory off Edgware Road in January and partied for 18 hours, police and council officers passed the buck for failing to stop the rave.
Noise abatement officers hope more efficient communication might also lead to increased prosecution of rave organisers, who face fines of up to £20,000 and can be filmed by police but must be prosecuted by the council.
Cabinet member for housing and environmental health, Councillor Brian Salinger, said: "We shouldn't have any false expectations of what we can achieve. The idea is that everyone knows how we will respond."
But rave-weary residents remained sceptical.
"It's frustrating," said Judy Shepherd, of Montagu Road. "The noise is terrible and nobody can stop it. If the protocol doesn't change that, I don't see that it's particularly helpful."
Key facts:
- Police are powerless to intervene against ravers because they are trespassing, which is a civil not a criminal offence
- Action can only be taken if a Noise and Nuisance Officer (NNO) has witnessed nuisance levels of noise from the complainant's residence
- The NNO must first serve a noise abatement order, giving ravers the option of going home quietly. Next they must get a magistrate's warrant to seize the sound equipment
- Police can play no part in the seizure of sound equipment their purpose is to ensure no breach of the peace occurs
http://www.barnettimes.co.uk/
US: Rave party guide book helps police – September 2002 Antirave new world
By The Miami Herrald - Sept 18 2002
Copyright: The Miami Herrald
A bill expected to pass the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent this fall could have a chilling effect on Florida's nightclub industry. Senate bill S. 2633, a k a the Reducing Americans' Vulnerability to Ecstasy Act of 2002, or the RAVE Act, would broaden federal standards for prosecuting venues under the so-called crack-house laws, which were designed to stamp out crack cocaine dealers. It would also add stiff civil penalties.
The bill specifically targets dance-music venues, whether they are temporary outdoor raves or established nightclubs. The RAVE Act has raised the ire of the electronic music industry, which brings tens of thousands of professionals and partyers to Miami every year for the Winter Music Conference.
''A lot of venues are going to be afraid to even rent to someone doing a rave-type party,'' said Gary Blitz, coordinator of the Electronic Music Defense and Education Fund. ``The law equates raves with drugs. The crack-house statute should be for crack houses, not for concerts or venues.''
Supporters of the RAVE Act say it is necessary to stop pervasive and dangerous use of drugs at raves.
''There's no question that drug use at rave clubs is widespread,'' said Jim McDonough, director of the Florida Office of Drug Control. ``And drugs are fatal far too often.''
In 1999, Florida conducted operation Heat Rave, in which 57 Florida clubs were raided by police. Tens of thousands of doses of drugs were confiscated. According to McDonough, a survey of state medical examiners found 59 MDMA (Ecstasy) related deaths in 2000, and 147 in 2001. McDonough said that clamping down on Ecstasy is one of his office's priorities.
''With or without this bill, any club that wantonly allows illegal drug use on their premises will be prosecuted,'' McDonough said.
MINOR CHANGES
Both sides agree that the bill's specific changes to current drug-enforcement laws are minor, as it expands the controlled substances act to allow prosecution of temporary and outdoor venues that exist ``for the purpose of unlawfully manufacturing, storing, distributing, or using a controlled substance.''
''It tailors the federal crack-house statute,'' said Chip Unruh, spokesman for Sen. Joseph Biden, the bill's sponsor. ``It's not a revolutionary new law.''
But the rhetoric surrounding the act has hardly been low-key. 'Each year tens of thousands of young people are initiated into the drug culture at `rave' parties or events (all-night, alcohol-free dance parties typically featuring loud, pounding dance music),'' states the Findings section of the RAVE Act.
A video released by McDonough's office depicts raves as lurid places where young, stoned girls are raped and fights are frequent.
Opponents of the bill, including the American Civil Liberties Union, decry the Reefer Madness-style hyperbole surrounding the law. They say that by targeting a specific form of youth culture and music, and citing such common rave accessories as glow sticks, massage oils and pacifiers as evidence of Ecstasy use, the bill censors free expression.
Some also predict the bill will have an impact far beyond the rave scene. Just as laws originally created to prosecute crack houses are now being used against raves, critics say the RAVE Act could be used against any music event where drugs are consumed.
''It's going to destroy the concert industry,'' said Broward-based music promoter Justin Moss who used to promote raves and co-organized the Beyond 2002 music and sports festival at Bicentennial Park earlier this year. ``Raves are just concerts with a different kind of music. At every concert, there's drugs. Every concert is going to fall under this act.''
McDonough denies such charges.
''Rave laws are no more antimusic than anticrack house laws are antihouse,'' he said.
MIXED VERDICTS
Existing crack-house laws have already been used against raves, to mixed effect. While the government successfully prosecuted promoters in Little Rock and Boise, a case in New Orleans ended in a plea bargain. A lengthy investigation of Club La Vela in Panama City was quickly rejected by a jury. Those uncertain results in part prompted the RAVE Act.
The bill flew through the Judiciary Committee without opposition. Aides to Sen. Biden say they expect it to pass the Senate by unanimous consent and move quickly through the House of Representatives.
The bill has raised mixed levels of public concern among South Florida nightclub owners and rave promoters.
''They've been trying to get rid of raves forever,'' said Moss. ``This isn't going to hurt the major concert promoters who are politically connected. But it is going to hurt the little guy like me. If a promoter's not politically in, you're dead.''
Club Level manager Gerry Kelly, who serves on Miami Beach's Nightlife Task Force and has hosted events for Janet Reno and President Bill Clinton, affirms that he does not feel threatened by the RAVE Act.
''We have a zero-tolerance drug policy,'' said Kelly. ``We have a rigorous training with our security team to spot any sort of illegal activity at the club. If we ever found anyone with illegal drugs, they would be immediately taken out of the club.''
McDonough says those are precisely the steps clubs must take to avoid prosecution.
''They have to set a standard that it's not a drug haven, it's a club,'' he said. ``There have to be checks at the door. Security has to be observant while people are there. It's like underage people who drink in bars: The owner has a responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen.''
But supporters of the bill vary about how it will be implemented. McDonough said drugs would have to be ''wantonly'' consumed at a venue. Unruh said only promoters who blatantly encourage drug use in fliers, for example, would be prosecuted.
''The RAVE Act just targets unscrupulous promoters who are promoting for the purpose of drug use,'' Unruh said.
But according to EMDEF's Blitz, the standards for actual prosecutions in cities such as Panama City have been much slacker -- even before the RAVE Act.
''Anybody who knows anything about that case [La Vela] knows those guys did everything possible to try to keep drugs out of their place,'' Blitz said. ``To think this law is needed to address the fact these guys didn't get convicted, that spells trouble for any club owner.''
http://www.miami.com/
World: French TEKNIVAL moves to Italy – September 2002 After French crackdown on rave parties, party goers move from France to Italy
By Yahoo News - Thursday September 5 2002
Copyright: Yahoo News
ROME - After a French crackdown on rave parties, hundreds of young people from France came across the border to Italy Thursday for the start of a huge party on an Alpine meadow.
The Italian news agency ANSA, reporting from the Italian town of Cuneo, a few kilometers (miles) from the border with France, said participants had originally planned to hold four days of partying in their homeland but had to make other plans after the French crackdown of the last few months.
ANSA reported that French authorities closed the road that leads to the border-crossing point in hopes of discouraging the flow of young people to the event.
By early afternoon, dozens of tents sprung up on the grassy meadow not far from customs offices on the Italian side of the border, ANSA said.
On Wednesday, France's interior minister offered to hold talks with organizers of techno dance parties, as the south of France braced for a huge rave to be held at a secret location in defiance of the law.
Last year, the four-day festa drew 10,000 people to southern France.
France has passed laws to give authorities more control over rave parties in response to several deaths and accidents.
In May, the government adopted a measure requiring a one-month notice for any event with more than 250 participants, amplified music and a high level of risk to participants.
http://www.yahoo.com/
US: Rave organizer on trial for murder – September 2002 Rave organizer on trial for murder
By Yahoo News - Thursday September 5 2002
Copyright: Yahoo News
JOSHUA TREE, Calif. -- An impromptu rave party in the Southern California high desert five years ago was Lucas Bielat's chance to say goodbye to friends before he moved away.
But the day he was supposed to leave, the 15-year-old was found dead in the desert from an overdose of the popular designer drug GHB.
Now, the man accused of organizing the party and supplying the drug to Bielat goes on trial today for second-degree murder in what may be the first such case in the country.
Prosecutors have charged Lindley Troy Geborde, 30, of Los Angeles with second-degree murder for allegedly manufacturing the drug and supplying it to Bielat without warning him of its danger.
Geborde is already serving a 41-month sentence in federal prison for a 1999 conviction on charges he made and transported GHB.
"The law says if you have knowledge that a particular conduct is dangerous to human life, you engage in that conduct and that conduct results in death, then you're guilty of murder," said San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney David Simon. "Just because there hasn't been a case until now, doesn't mean it isn't murder."
Although three men in Michigan were convicted of manslaughter earlier this year in the death of a girl who drank a beverage mixed with GHB, the California case marks the first time someone is being tried for implied malice in connection with such a death.
Known to partygoers as liquid ecstasy, GHB -- gamma hydroxybutyrate -- is known for its intoxicating effect, which is similar to liquor without the hangover. It's also known as a "date rape" drug because of its ability to incapacitate people, leaving them vulnerable to sexual assault.
Once sold in health food stores as a natural food supplement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned over-the-counter sales in 1990. President Clinton signed legislation outlawing the drug this year.
Geborde was an aspiring disc jockey and actor who had a small role as a federal police officer in the 1997's "Conspiracy Theory," starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts.
Defense attorney Frank Peasley says Geborde's actions did not amount to murder and the dangers of GHB have been exaggerated.
"(Geborde) used (GHB) all the time, and his friends did, too," Peasley told The Desert Sun of Palm Springs. He did not return a telephone call to the Associated Press seeking comment.
Both sides agree that on the night of Jan. 13, 1996, Bielat and at least 40 other people attended a party at Giant Rock, a huge boulder rising out of the sand 25 miles north of Joshua Tree that was made famous in the 1950s by UFO enthusiast George Van Tassel.
But they disagree about what happened at the rock.
Investigators allege Geborde, then 25, handed out plastic jugs of the drug, which he brewed out of engine degreaser, drain cleaner and water, to partygoers.
Investigators suspect Geborde was the leading force in introducing the drug in Joshua Tree, a community of 8,600 people about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.
Although he had allegedly warned people at previous parties before to take only two or three capfuls of the concoction, on this night Geborde said nothing, Simon said.
Witnesses say Bielat chugged the drink and then passed out. Hours later, they say Bielat turned blue and his feet began to curl from the cold.
That's when, according to investigators, Geborde packed up his music equipment and left.
"He made it. He knew it was dangerous. He gave it to Lucas Bielat and didn't warn him as he watched him chug it. . . . When he was dying, Mr. Geborde left him there. That's implied malice," Simon said.
But other witnesses, according to transcripts from a preliminary hearing in April, say Geborde told people to be careful and that he had someone call 911.
At the time, the autopsy was inconclusive because the crime lab lacked the equipment to test for GHB toxicity. Two years later, the Los Angeles Coroner's Office used a test it had developed to determine there was toxic level of GHB in Bielat's blood.
On Oct. 1, 1998, Geborde was charged with second-degree murder.
Although nearly everybody agrees Bielat bears some responsibility for taking the drug, prosecutors and Bielat's family hold Geborde responsible for allegedly giving it to him.
http://www.yahoo.com/
US: Out of the media glare, there’s a positive side to the rave scene – September 200 Out of the media glare, there's a positive side to the rave scene
By Yahoo News - Thursday September 5 2002
Copyright: Yahoo News
Debauched all-night parties driven by rapid techno beats, fueled by a cornucopia of drugs and packed with thousands of sweaty, wild-eyed ecstasy freaks.
Young people doing bad things in dark places.
Ooooh. This is what "raves" are all about, right?
Not necessarily.
There's more to the rave community than what you read in glossy magazines and see on MTV -- just like there’s more to punk rock than Blink-182.
Of course, organizers don't like referring to smaller, more community-based events as "raves" -- they get a little touchy over that word. Some call them "parties," others call them "gatherings."
The other side of the drug-frenzied, fashion-centered über-rave scene involves Zenlike gatherings of music-loving people, all -- at the risk of sounding totally dippy -- paying homage to the sound in dance. More often than not, those who put on these small events either lose money or just break even because they insist on charging (usually) no more than $10 for tickets (as opposed to the standard $40 most commercialized events charge).
"I think when people approach it as a positive ritual ... it creates a positive energy that you can't manufacture with some glossy flier," says Robert Papy (a k a DJ Vegan), explaining why people at any given rave might have a sense of being part of a collective consciousness in a way that patrons at a club wouldn't.
Like nightclubs, the larger, commercialized events generally make attendants feel isolated. You're alone among the crowd of people chasing their drug highs. These glitzed-up scenester parties are the sorts you see in movies, where it seems the only part of rave culture they show is the worst part. The latest in the raver is "Human Traffic" -- a film about a group of disenchanted Welsh youth who make a weekend of going to Cardiff parties, doing loads of drugs and -- oddly enough -- never feeling all that fulfilled at the end of their trips.
But if you're at the right event at the right time, there's this feeling of belonging and purpose.
"There's a greater regard for other people who are there. They're so passionate," says Papy.
Some collectives like Vancouver, B.C.'s Shrum Tribe take exception to most of the terminology associated with the scene.
"Shrum Tribe is not a 'rave' . . . we do not want to be bound by those restrictions," says the statement on the group's Web site.
They state their aim as one to "create events that subvert the bland status quo of society's low expectations of 'high' art as an entity stuck to gallery walls . . . the passion and desire to dare to do something different, to see musik (sic) as a vehicle for social action on a larger scale, however small our victories and great our losses . . . the passion and desire to do this peacefully, but with action."
Raves as social activism? You bet. And that approach to organizing the events is becoming more common with the subculture. While in some cities rave-based community activism flourishes (such as San Francisco and Vancouver) progress is slow in Seattle, but things are taking shape nonetheless.
As his chosen DJ name might indicate, Seattle's Papy, 29, is a vegan (his diet does not include any animal products -- no meat, no dairy, no eggs), so it's no surprise that he's active in animal-rights causes -- the tagline on his cards reads "Use your brain, be humane."
To the uninitiated, this might sound like a throw-back to the '60s love-ins, but there's a definite modern twist: The once-disenchanted ravers seem to be saving themselves, the music they love and the values that go along with it from the clutches of greedy promoters. Some events are organized to raise funds or awareness for specific social causes.
Papy, originally from Hollywood, Fla., says he's "more concerned with creating a more sane and humane world with the assistance of the music" than anything else.
Along with his friend, Thomas Renouf (who DJs as TC) Papy is planning an event on July 8 called Integrrrate, during which signatures will be gathered for Initiative 713 (www.jps.net/propaw/wainitword.htm), urging a ban against steel leg traps. They're also trying to raise funds for an animal shelter in Arlington.
Then there's Seelie Court Production Co., a small group of Seattle organizers, artists -- including DJs -- who set up small to medium gatherings with a holistic approach.
Isis (the only name she goes by) is one of the organizers at Seelie Court and has been part of the scene in Seattle for about four years. She emphasizes the need for the more organic, community-based events.
"Any gathering with so much love . . . it becomes a family overall," says Isis, 21. "It's amazing how much love opens when people allow themselves to be creative with other people . . . it creates trust and unity."
At Seelie Court's most recent event -- one celebrating the vernal equinox -- local artists, music enthusiasts, partiers and environmental activists all soft-shoed together. Seelie Court invited Earth First! to set up a table and distribute information. While artist Roman (among others) shared his paintings, about 250 people danced to a variety of DJ'd sets. Also, funds were raised for an arts community center in Bellingham that Seelie Court and others are trying to build.
This gathering was not promoted by fliers and magazine ads.
"It was done by word of mouth only and it was perfect," says Ed Hanes, a member of Seelie Court.
Most of the smaller, do-gooder events aren't held in clubs (where ticket prices are high and the focus is not on the community in general), but in backs of stores, homes, parking garages, abandoned buildings or just out in the woods.
"It intentionally stays underground so it doesn't get busted,"
Ken Tomkins, co-owner of Raverbooks in Capitol Hill.
So, how do you find out about the events or get involved? There's no one way, really. Start by getting involved in the DJ community.
Yes, even some of the smaller parties have fliers, so look for them at hipster cafes, music stores, clothing shops and such. No, not the big glossy fliers. The small, photocopied ones here and there.
Pick up local music zines and look for Web sites put up by DJs and other music collectives. Drop your e-mail address there and they'll keep you posted on upcoming events.
http://www.yahoo.com/
UK: Squatters quit flats for festival – September 2002 Squatters quit flats for festival
By Evening News 24 - Thursday September 5 2002
Copyright: Evening News 24
NORWICH'S nomadic squatters have left their latest adopted home to go on an extended period of partying and travelling.
Just three of the self-styled Community Collective are still staying at a block of empty flats on Brunswick Road. But they are due to leave on Friday, the deadline set by the housing association who own the building.
The other 22 members moved all their belongings out before the bank holiday and went to a festival en masse. After that it appears they have spent some time travelling around England.
Nearly a fortnight ago the collective was issued with another eviction order from the county court just over a week after being kicked out of Pym House on Unthank Road.
However, the owners, the Swan Housing Association, gave them a two week breathing space to find alternative accommodation.
According to one member they are still on the look out for a place, preferably a big house that will contain all 25 members of the collective.
"When all the others come back we will have to move to somewhere else, maybe to another squat. We have always wanted to remain together as a collective rather then be split up," he said.
"People have gone to a festival and have taken pretty much all their stuff with them. It's very quite just now, just me playing my tunes."
Their short stay at Pym House ended in a high-profile stand-off with authorities which resulted in an impromptu rave. They left only when police officers broke in through the back door. But this time round the collective have decided to leave peacefully.
"It's a bit difficult to make a protest with just the three of us. We will definitely be leaving on Friday," the anonymous member added.
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
You can revoke your consent any time using the Revoke consent button.
