UK: Call for Tolworth TEKNIVAL site to be protected – March 2001 Call for rave site to be protected
By thisislocallondon - Friday 16 March 2001
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Chessington residents are worried that Tolworth Court Farm was vulnerable to invasion of travellers after it emerged that no money had been set aside to shore up its defences.
Jim Taylor, chairman of the Chessington District resident association, expressed residents fears during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
This years budget settlement did not renew the £40,000 which was made available to protect the site after it was invaded by ravers last summer. Mr Taylor said: The site is currently vulnerable to invasion from gypsies. What we want is protection for this site such as earth bounds. Last year it cost the council £20,000 to clear the mess left by the ravers.
Councillors said an emergency response action plan which had been introduced recently would ensure that swift action was taken in the event of an invasion.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Squatters invade Surbiton – February 2001 Squatters invade Surbiton
By thisislocallondon - Friday 09 February 2001
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Fears of a repeat of the Tolworth Court Farm rave grew last weekend as squatters moved onto Railway Tavern property, in Surbiton, on Friday.
But squatters, thought to be environmental activists, assured the police they were not going to hold a rave in the dilapidated building at the junction of Ewell Road and Lamberts Road, due to be demolished to make way for 19 flats.
A caravan was pushed into the carpark at the back of the boarded-up building and one was parked at the front ,but no lights have been seen on in the building itself.
This week also saw Surbiton councillors present their case to save the Wayside Gardens, at the back of the tavern, at a council meeting.
Councillor Dennis De Lord said he was concerned that the green space would be concreted over and lost forever as part of the development.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Police attack J14-Survival party – December 2000 Police attack J14-Survival party
courtesy of Spar
[originally printed 12.04.00]
On the night of Saturday 2nd/Sunday 3rd December, an outbreak of violence marred an otherwise safe and peaceful party, near Amersham in Bucks. Who was this initiated by? Thames Valley Police of course!
The usual "containment" strategy that TVP use, to be seen to be doing something about free parties, was employed. Usually this involves one or two police cars blocking the entrance to the party, until they get too bored or too cold or get called away to attend to other matters, and then just showing up to see that the party is winding down without trouble late Sunday morning. Thistime, though, TVP seemed to have conjured-up some additional resources from somewhere or other - as they'd brought up a small army with them - you would think you were in a riot zone - not near a freeparty site!
I got there slightly late, having been to the J10/Fushion/Valley Moods party in Bekshire earlier that night - so much of the action happened before I arrived - but this post uses eyewitness reports, and information from one of the victims, as well as the J14-Survival crew, as well as what I saw myself.
I'd received a tip-off of the potential trouble ahead on the journey to Amersham, but was quite surprised by the level of police presence blocking the entrance to the road that the site was down. Several mounted police, a massive "mounted police" vehicle, several riot vans, two land rovers, and loadsa panda cars. I phoned a friend on site who told me of a back way in. This road too was blocked, but by a smaller (but still intimidating) police presence - One mounted unit, one van and a couple of pandas. Parked up the car about 1 mile away - in an area that wouldn't arouse suspicion. Got back on foot to the road leading to the alternate way in, one empty panda car. Up the road a bit more we see the site entrance, blocked by mounted police and several vehicles. Discuss with friends our chances of making our way across a muddy field to get around the pigs. Good thing we didn't try this strategy [see later], a bit further on found a tall hedge to creep around without being seen.
Got into the party about 3am. It turned out that a police helicopter had spent about 90 minutes flying low over the party site (which probably made more noise than the rig did!). Now for the nasty bit. Some folks *had* tried to make it in across the field, only to find that TVP had a dog unit, and the pigs unleashed their hounds on a group of 6 munters. The dogs took down several ppl, to be backed up by some thuggish ossifers, who laid into one of the blokes who was lying on the ground, still being savaged by the dog. Four ossifers joined their canine companion, booting the poor guy, whilst one pig repeatedly coshed him over the head with a torch. A small young woman tried to intervene, only for the pigs to start on her. They literally dragged her, kicking and screaming, across the field. I saw this girl later on the Sunday afternoon when she had been released. She was covered in bruises, and had some nasty cuff-burns on her wrists, where the police had twisted her arms up her back whilst she was cuffed. Apparently, she'd told them, at the point that the first ossifer had grabbed her, that she'd come quietly and peacefully - but they continued to beat her for some time. The police had removed their badges so that their numbers couldn't be taken. In total 5 or 6 people were arrested - for criminal damage (to the crops in this muddy field) caused by them peacefully walking across the field! Also police had been picking off cars around the party site, and searching them with dogs.
At one stage TVP threatened to raid the party and strip-search everyone on site, and the system crew barricaded themselves into the main party building (a barn with a hunting lodge attached to the side), to keep the pigs (and their dogs, that they'd brought up on site, to chase munters around the site with) out.
The police then eventually left - having failed to stop the party - and there was no sign of Babylon presence after about 5am - until they showed up again later in the morning. By this time the party had acquired a new cannon in its arsenal - a photography student rumoured to be from Reading, who was making a video documentary for her finals project. She began filming, and interviewing them (successfully bluffing them that she was an ITN journo!). At this stage the pigs attitude changed, and they backed off ... not to be seen again. The party finished at 4pm Sunday afternoon (it was starting to get dark ...) - and there was no police presence on the way out.
Its worth mentioning that the only trouble or violence at this party was that executed by Thames Valley Police. The crowd was a safe one, with lots of happy, friendly people, who just wanted to have a good party. Despite the police intimidation and violence (or perhaps, because of it?) this was a real banging party that had the dancefloor full until they switched the music off late Sunday afternoon, with everyone determined to make the best of it - and continue in defiance.
Be warned that if travelling to a freeparty - you are potentially at risk from stop-searches and even unprovoked police violence - if they have the resources, the police will attack, unprovoked, anyone in or around a party site. So much as walking across a field can be considered "criminal damage", which Thames Valley Police seem convinced warrants the use of extreme violence to prevent.
Article update 12.11.00:
"...of all the people who were arrested - all charges were subsequently dropped, asides from one who is now apparently being charged with public disorder and resisting arrest (the J14-Survival crew are keen to make contact with him, so that they can offer their support)...".
PLUR - Spar
Originally printed on uk.music.rave, many thanks Simon.
UK: Councillors in rage over Tolworth snub – November 2000 Councillors in rage over rave snub
By thisislocallondon - Friday 03 November 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Angry councillors protested outside Parliament this week after a Government minister pulled out of a meeting to discuss the recent rave in Tolworth.
A delegation of Epsom councillors, politicians and residents had arranged to meet with Home Office minister Charles Clarke to seek assurances that a rave which kept thousands of residents in the north of the borough awake for two nights would not be repeated.
Residents were furious at Kingston Police's decision to contain rather than evict the 2,000 illegal ravers on Tolworth Court Farm at the start of September, whose music could be heard as far away as Ashtead.
Mr Clarke had agreed to meet the delegation on Wednesday, but councillors have been informed that he will now only meet with Sir Archie Hamilton MP behind closed doors.
Councillor George Crawford said last week: "We intend to be there for the meeting at 10am on Wednesday morning. Whatever happens, I'm certainly going up and we will at least make some sort of showing."
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
World: Goa shuns backpackers – October 2000 Goa shuns backpackers
BBC News - Wednesday, 18 October, 2000
Copyright: BBC News
The authorities in the Indian state of Goa - renowned as a destination for backpackers and ravers - are trying to attract a better class of tourist. The erstwhile Portuguese enclave was the world's hippie capital in the 1960s and 70s, when backpackers made a beeline for Goa's beaches.
We want wealthy tourists who can make a contribution to the state's economy said Deputy chief minister Narvekar.
But Deputy Chief Minister, Dayanand Narvekar, says they no longer want tourists who fly down in charter flights and stay in cheap hotels. "I have nothing against them. It's just that we want wealthy tourists who can make a contribution to the state's economy," he told the BBC. Mr Narvekar said hotel rates in some parts of Goa have crashed to less than 150 rupees ($4) a night because budget tourists just do not have the money to pay more.
Anjuna
As part of an effort to discourage backpackers and tourists on shoe-string budgets, local authorities last month announced the closure of the flea market on Goa's Anjuna beach. Started on Valentine's Day 25-years ago by an American hippie, Eddie Mazmaniam, Anjuna symbolised the carefree, hedonistic hippie lifestyle. The weekly flea market was often the last refuge of western tourists who ran out of money in Goa. They sold their tape-recorders, cassettes, guitars - sometimes even their underwear - to continue their Goan party. But over the years, Anjuna's flea market also became a haven for drug peddlers.
"The market was losing its old culture... and that could not have been tolerated," Mr Narvekar said. Claude Alvaris, a local journalist turned environment activist, heads a non-governmental organisation, the Goa Foundation. He says the flea market is increasingly becoming like any other weekend bazaar where petty Indian traders assemble to sell inexpensive but often fake goods. He supports the decision to discourage budget tourists. Is it sensible to snub and turn away the tourists we are getting now?
Sandesh Prabhudesai: "Goa wants to develop tourism as its main industry. Surely that cannot happen till you get the wealthy, upper-crust tourist. "And that class will not come to Goa [as long as] it enjoys the reputation of being a hippie joint where acid parties and raves are the order of the day," Alvaris said.
Rave crackdown
A temporary truce has now been reached between the authorities and the flea market traders. But officials warned they would not hesitate to shut down the market for ever if the drug problem continued. The move to shut down the Anjuna market had followed another order banning the playing of loud music after 10 at night.
Goa is popular with party goers
It came as a jolt to the local tourist industry - Goa is known for its late night revelry and dusk-to-dawn rave parties on the beach. "I understand the needs of tourism but the local population cannot be disturbed either," Goa chief minister, Francisco Sardinha reports quoted saying. Not all are in agreement with the government's attitude towards budget tourists.
Sandesh Prabhudesai, managing editor of a Goa-dedicated website said:"It's one thing to want to up-market tourists and nobody will disagree with the government on that. "But is it sensible to snub and turn away the tourists we are getting now?" he asked. He said the government should concentrate on eco-tourism and organise jungle safaris to attract well-heeled tourists to Goa.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
UK: Residents kept awake all night as 2,000 enjoy 48 hour party – September 2000 'our weekend of rave hell' - Residents kept awake all night as 2,000 enjoy 48 hour party
By thisislocallondon - Wednesday 06 September 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Police have come under fire from residents of Ewell, Stoneleigh and Worcester Park who suffered a "weekend of hell" from the sound of an illegal rave held more than two miles away.
The Met's decision not to forcibly evict the 2,000 New Age ravers in Chessington from Friday to Sunday evening has been criticised for putting property before people.
Residents woken by a thunderous noise at midnight on Friday initially assumed noisy neighbours were to blame for the beat - not realising the source was more than two miles away in Jubilee Way.
Those who contacted police were told only environmental health officers at Kingston Council had the power to act. Later it emerged that Met police agreed not to remove the ravers for fear of causing an outbreak of violence.
Weary residents were left with no choice but to seek respite in hotels or friends' homes - or turn up their own music or televisions to drown out the noise.
Sir Archie Hamilton MP and prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate Chris Grayling, have written to the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens expressing serious concerns about the way the police handled the event.
Mr Grayling said while Kingston may not have had enough resources, the Met should have been able to send more officers from elsewhere to the site.
He said: "It's absolutely outrageous the police were unable to deal with a huge illegal gathering of this kind."
But the acting head of Kingston police, Superintendent Keith Free, insisted he could have called in many more officers if necessary, but the police's non-confrontational strategy had been the right one: "We have had a safe and successful operation which was marred only by the noise situation.
"To eject them may well have resulted in violence and injury. The decision I took was the safest option - to allow them to continue and to monitor the situation.
He added: "There was always the threat they would move to empty places in the town centre."
Pensioner Betty Rich, who had to plug her ears until after 4.30am on Friday night, said feelings were running so high in Stoneleigh she feared residents would take matters into their own hands.
She said: "People were out both nights trying to find out where it was coming from - and when they get het up like that they might do something they regret."
Residents Association councillors representing the affected wards are demanding an explanation from Home Secretary Jack Straw when Parliament reassembles.
Ewell Court Councillor Jean Smith said police had put property before people by giving in to ravers' threats to move into Kingston town centre.
She said: "Residents of northern wards in Epsom and Ewell went through a weekend of hell, sleep was upset. Our anger was unassuaged."
The Met's decision not to evict the ravers has been met with fury by residents. Pictures by Mediaficient.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Outrage over Tolworth – September 2000 Outrage over rave
By thisislocallondon - Friday 08 September 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Residents are outraged at police inaction over last weekend's illegal 48-hour rave on Tolworth Court Farm where music was so loud it could be heard four miles away.
Police stood by as 2,000 ravers, many high on drugs, danced to music generated by the seven sound stages which could be heard as far away as Ashtead and drove residents out of their homes in search of a night's sleep.
Under laws brought in to control raves in the early 1990s police did have the power to direct people to leave the field but Superintendent Keith Free said: "To eject them may well have resulted in violence and injury. The decision I took was that the safest option would be to allow them to continue and to monitor the situation."
He added: "There was always the threat they would move to empty places in the town centre."
Frustrated by the police decision to take no action and maddened by a lack of sleep some residents threatened to take the law into their own hands and attack the ravers with baseball bats.
Jim Taylor of Chessington Residents' Association said: "This was absolute anarchy."
But Superintendent Free said: "We have had a safe and successful operation which was marred only by the noise situation."
The last of the ravers left Tolworth Court Farm on Monday evening. The field has been secured by the council.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: ‘Tolworth ravers will be punished’ – September 2000 'Ravers will be punished'
By thisislocallondon - Thursday 21 September 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Police, who came under fire for allowing an illegal rave which kept residents of West Ewell, Stoneleigh and Worcester Park awake for 48 hours, say the organisers have not been allowed to get away scot free.
Superintendent Keith Free, of Kingston Police, told angry councillors last week he had been "stuck between a rock and a hard place" and feared far greater damage and violent confrontations if police had tried to tackle the 2,000 ravers on Tolworth Court Farm directly.
But he said: "We are trying to bring to book the organisers of this illegal trespass and bring charges of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance."
Surrey Police were quizzed on how they would have managed the situation at a meeting of Epsom and Ewell's Police and Community Group last Thursday.
They agreed removing 2,000 ravers once the event started would be "problematic" and added that calling officers in from around the county on a Saturday night might endanger lives elsewhere.
Mid Surrey's divisional commander Superintendent Keith Rogers said: "If we get information and intelligence that it is happening and we are able to intervene at an early stage, then that's the ideal situation. If I was presented with the situation facing that police commander, I can't say it would have been done any quicker than it was. It depends on what resources are available, how quickly officers can be mobilised and what the threat is."
Home Office Minister Charles Clarke has agreed to meet Epsom and Ewell MP Sir Archie Hamilton, prospective Conservative parliamentary candidate Chris Grayling, councillors Jean Smith and George Crawford and Neil Bevan of Cuddington Residents' Association on November 1.
They will be looking for reassurances that the situation will not be allowed to happen again.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Tolworth party was on website – September 2000 Tolworth party was on website
By thisislocallondon - Friday 08 September 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
The Tolworth Court Farm rave was advertised on the internet and by word of mouth.
The web-site Partyvibe.com identified the location as London and gave two mobile phone numbers which, when called, gave directions to the farm.
Greater London Assembly representative Tony Arbour said: "Why didn't the police know in advance when ravers knew the time and location?"
But a police spokesman said: "We do monitor the internet but the situation is such that, given the size of what we are dealing with, we are not necessarily going to be able to pick up everything straight away, and they are posted at fairly short notice."
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Rave organisers are set to be prosecuted – September 2000 Rave organisers are set to be prosecuted
By thisislocallondon - Wednesday 10 May 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
During the party, attended by up to 3,000 people in the old post office sorting office in Ashdown Road, thousands of pounds of damage was caused to the building.
Every wall in the three- storey building was covered in graffiti, works of art belonging to students were smashed or stolen, two computers were stolen and windows were smashed.
The ravers also left behind piles of rubbish, human faeces, and pools of urine.
The head of operations at Kingston Police, Superintendent Keith Free, said: "The allegations of criminal damage will be thoroughly investigated and the organisers will be held responsible for activities under their control."
Raficq Abdula, Kingston University Secretary, said: "This is a criminal act over which any sensible person would be incensed and we will be discussing this matter actively with the local police."
But Ronald Dear, director of Cliveden Estates (London), which leases the property to Kingston University, said: "I can't be bothered to chase around a couple of air heads. We are improving security and getting in the contractors to clean up."
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: ‘Stop our rave and we’ll riot’ – September 2000 'Stop our rave and we'll riot'
By thisislocallondon - Friday 08 September 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
RAVERS held a two-day dance and drugs party at a disused supermarket in Leytonstone at the weekend
About 2,000 revellers packed into the former Co-op Pioneer store in the High Road after organisers broke into the building and declared it a party zone late on Saturday night.
Residents were left sleepless for two nights as loud music pumped out from the former food hall, which was turned into a massive dance area with DJs and a light show.
The revelling went on until about 8am on Monday. Desperate householders flooded the police with calls but were shocked to be told that nothing could be done about it.
One elderly resident was found wandering around the site on Sunday morning dazed and confused, complaining that she had not slept.
Shortly after, a baptism at neighbouring St John's Church was ruined by the rumble of "industrial" and "garage" music.
Drunken party bingers also targeted a local off-licence and stole more booze after they had run out of supplies and money.
Anger is now focused on the way the Co-operative Group has let the building fall into ruin and failed to secure the site.
When the Guardian confronted the rave organisers, they claimed they were just enjoying themselves.
Dave, 33, who would not give his surname, said: "When we look for buildings for parties we try to keep them away from residential areas. But sometimes you just can't help it and it's nice to party.
"We do these all over the place and people come together for a good time. The police seemed reasonable, although I didn't speak to them. Thanks for having us.
"Two days is not long to put up with it and if people get offended then it is a secondary concern."
Ian, 29, added: "The gate was just open and we walked through into the building. We knew the site was empty."
But Rev Raymond Draper, vicar of St John's Church, is fuming.
He said: "They have no right to deny every person their sleep. They have no right to steal from local shops and intimidate shopkeepers.
"And they have no right to disturb a church going about its normal business of worship and to intimidate a whole community.
"All you could hear through the baptism service was thud, thud, thud. It was like an earthquake."
"The problem has got to a boiling point with anger about the way the Co-op has not done anything about the site and watched the situation get worse and worse. This weekend was the last straw."
Cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Sally Buckley, added: "The situation at the old Pioneer site is quite disgraceful. It is something that local residents and businesses should not have to put up with.
"This weekend-long so-called party is just another anti-social episode and it is really time the Co-op sorted the problem once and for all.
"The Co-op and its agents are responsible for the security of the site and they should be good neighbours and keep the antisocial elements out."
She said that the noise team was called to the site but was unable to act because of the absence of appropriate police support.
A spokesman for the Co-op, Phil Edwards, said: "Since we closed the store down earlier this year we have had security at the premises on a daily basis. Obviously it was a determined effort to get in.
"We will be bricking up the windows and, as of now, got a permanent 24-hour security presence on the site for as long as we consider it necessary.
"It is absolutely not the case that we have let down the community and we have been making efforts to keep the site secure.
"We are planning to redevelop the site and the message to the community is that we don't want it to just stand there and fester."Dave and Ian, organisers of the rave.
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Residents who fled three-day rave threaten to sue police – September 2000 Residents who fled three-day rave threaten to sue police
The Independent - 05 September 2000
Copyright: The Independent
A three-day rave that drove suburban residents to flee their homes ended yesterday, leaving behind mounds of smouldering debris as well as renewed concern over police resources. Days after the Metropolitan Police admitted that the Notting Hill Carnival was beyond its resources, the force was denounced for failing to move on the noisy New Age travellers who had invaded council-owned land in the royal borough of Kingston upon Thames.
"They took the line of least resistance, which was effectively giving them a licence to break the law," said Keith Witham, a Conservative councillor. "The local residents and Kingston council are seething. The police weren't willing or able to use the powers they have to move them on."
Yesterday, as the last of 2,000 New Age travellers packed up their tents and sound systems, residents of the Tolworth area of south-west London said they would be demanding compensation, and councillors said they would be making representations to Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and the police authority.
The illegal party, promoted internationally via the internet, began on Friday when the event's organisers arrived and used a mechanical digger to move mounds of earth deliberately put in place to deter travellers. The initial police presence was no match for the invading armies of dilapidated cars and buses.
By Friday night, locals were being subjected to thumping music audible for several miles. Many residents opted to move to hotels. Yesterday they were threatening legal action against the police to recoup their costs.
Mr Witham said they were furious that police were either unwilling or unable to help environmental health officers to enforce a noise abatement order, or to take action themselves under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act. Kingston policesaid that they were left with few option because they had only 12 officers on duty over the weekend. The travellers had threatened to move the rave to a venue in Kingston and "trash" the town centre if they were forced off land at Tolworth Court Farm.
Chief Superintendent Keith Free said yesterday: "We decided that because of the alternative site and given our available police resources, which meant we were severely outnumbered, it would not be appropriate to confront these people.The alternative was 2,000 people marauding around the streets of Kingston town centre."
Yesterday Mr Witham said that the council would be complaining to the police authority about under-resourcing. "I appreciate such an event is beyond the resources of any local police division but they should be able to call on the Metropolitan Police as a whole."
Rory Faulkner, a councillor and the chairman of Tolworth neighbourhood committee, said yesterday that residents had been outraged.
"The threats from the ravers of 'trashing' Kingston town centre if forced to move are despicable and it is a shame than none of these people will be punished for the damage they have done in Tolworth," he said.
Bruce McDonald, chief executive of Kingston council, said: "Councillors will be making strenuous representations on behalf of residents to the Home Secretary to get this important issue addressed."
However a police spokesman said later: "It was not a matter of shortage of officers. If a strategic decision had been made to move them off the site we would have sourced officers from elsewhere across London.
http://www.independent.co.uk/
World: Rave on the Great Wall of China – August 2000 Rave on the Great Wall
By Time Asia - 7 August, 2000
Copyright: Time Asia
It was 2.30am when a rat ran across my legs that I decided it was time to quit the Great Wall of China and head for the small hotel at the bottom of the valley. I had been sitting on a stone stairway looking at a harvest moon. It wasn't only the rat. It was also the music -- decibels and decibels of pumping house, techno, funk and trance. I had wanted to see the sun come up, but decided I preferred silence to sunrise and staggered down the wall, past the watchtowers with a torch in one hand and a bottle of water in the other, to bed.
"Another Brick in the Wall," the organizers of the June 17 event called it. Another kick in the pants, more likely, for this was decorous anarchy with Chinese characteristics and one more step down the road to artistic mayhem. It was a rave [dance party] on the Great Wall at Jinshanling, about a three-hour drive from Beijing. It was not the first -- that was in 1998 -- but it was certainly the grandest, with fireworks, endless beer, tequilas and a barbecue. And the authorities in Beijing knew nothing about it.
It was all above board, though. Permission had been given by the local municipality which took 20,000 renmimbi (about $2,400) in rent for the use of three watchtowers and about 200 meters of wall for one night. The police wages were 2,000 yuan ($240), and then there were the medics. They seemed to spend most of the night trying to stop a couple of comatose kid drunks from rolling down the wall from one watchtower to the next.
It was a ticket-only affair, costing 300 renmimbi (about $35), that pulled in about 400 ravers. News of the event was spread by word-of-mouth through the bars of Beijing. "We had to keep the rave fairly closely under wraps," a spokesman for the organizers said. "If the Beijing authorities had found out they would have banned it and we couldn't take that risk."
You could see why. The wall, of course, was one reason; it could not be desecrated. And the music was probably considered subversive. The leading band was a punk group of Chinese dropouts with dyed-blond hair called the Anarky Boys. The singer wore a T-shirt emblazoned with 'Junkie's Baddy Powder' and spent most of the act using the F word in English. It was tame for the foreigners stomping to his beat and probably went straight over the heads of the Chinese there and the police. Only the group of Mongolian hookers who were giving old fossils like me the glad eye probably got the message.
But it looked wild. And appearances seem to matter more than ideology in today's China. Even the rave's organizers -- The China Pump Factory -- expressed their political solidarity with the ruling Communist Party, and chose a portrait of that great icon of community spirit Lei Feng for their logo. This "rustless screw" of communist propaganda -- whose short life was devoted to helping his neighbors -- died in the 1960s when a telephone pole fell on his head. His image this time was at the Great Wall shaking the night away on foreign and Chinese chests.
I can't see why Beijing should get upset. After all, bands and dancing have been central to the life of good communists. Mao and the old guard were slow-slow-quick-quick-slowing to the tunes of Glenn Miller through the caves of Yennan and the pavilions of Zhongnanhai every holiday. We don't know what President Jiang Zemin and Prime Minister Zhu Rongji prefer. But I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't rock 'n' roll. No, on second thoughts, it's probably country and western.
http://www.time.com/
UK: Rave vandals fingerprints are sent for examination – June 2000 Rave vandals fingerprints are sent for examination
By thisislocallondon - Friday 16 June 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Fingerprints found on paint and chemical canisters have been sent for examination but DC Ron Harvey, who is dealing with the case, said "pressure of work" means it will be several weeks before results are known.
Three thousand people attended the rave on April 29 at the old GPO in Ashdowne Road, which resulted in the destruction of works of art by Kingston University students and widespread damage to the premises.
Liberal Democrat councillors have hit out at Conservative leader Councillor David Edwards who criticised police handling of the situation.
Councillor Roger Hayes said: "With just 17 officers on duty the police acted the only way they could in avoiding major trouble in the town centre. The Conservatives should learn the facts before making such comments and should blame the under-resourcing of the police started by their Government and perpetuated by Labour.
"The town centre has recently lost its beat officer who may have picked up on local intelligence that could have averted this criminal activity. The fact is that with a severely under-resourced police force these kind of criminal acts will continue to happen.
"We must support the local police in handling situations in the best way they can until staff levels are increased to prevent crime properly."
http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/
UK: Move to stop Tolworth style events from happening again – May 2000 Move to stop any more raves
By thisislocallondon - Wednesday 03 May 2000
Copyright: thisislocallondon
Likely rave sites are to be protected and council-police co-operation re-examined in a bid to prevent a repetition of the massive rave at the start of the month. At a Kingston Council meeting last week, Kingston Police were again criticised for not putting a stop to the rave at Tolworth Court Farm.
But Superintendent Keith Free, acting head of Kingston police, stood by his decision not to risk public safety by closing down the event.
He said: "Given the mood of the people arriving and their stated intention to move that event to the town centre, I considered that could result in far greater damage and violent confrontation.
"We are trying to bring to book the organisers of this illegal trespass and bring charges of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance."
Councillor Dennis De Lord complained that there were only seven officers on duty, despite a £1.5 million increase in the borough's police precept.
"Where are the other 250 [officers] we apparently have protecting our interests? It's an absolute disgrace."
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