Following a botched illegal rave that failed to take place near Rugeley last weekend, Staffordshire Police have made three arrests related to its organisation. Having been arrested on suspicion of conspiring to cause a public nuisance, the younger two suspects (aged 21 and 24) have since been released on bail with a curfew imposed, whilst the eldest (aged 28) remains in police custody for questioning.
Speaking to The Derby Telegraph, Chief Superintendent Carl Ratcliffe from Staffordshire Police said: “The three arrests this weekend hopefully demonstrate that we will take action against those suspected of illegal activity. These events are also in clear breach of the current coronavirus regulations and put everyone at risk”. “The key to stopping these events is early intelligence”, he continued, urging the public to come forward so that law enforcement could “ultimately save lives”.
We are urging anyone who is considering attending an illegal rave tonight to stop and think❕
These unauthorised events have no safety measures in place❕They are not worth the risk ❕
We have a dedicated policing operation in place with officers patrolling hotspot areas ❕ pic.twitter.com/JSdbTiZsRd
— South Staffs Police (@SStaffsPolice) June 27, 2020
The arrests follow soon after police were forced to disperse a separate gathering of a thousand people near the A38 – part of a rising trend of illegal raves that have taken place all across the country as the government aims to drastically ease social distancing restrictions this Saturday (rising infection in rates in Leicester however, have caused the city to reinforce lockdown measures).
Attendance figures have ranged from fifty at an East London club night to gatherings of 6,000 in Greater Manchester during which a man died of an overdose, a woman was raped, and three people were stabbed. Earlier last month, ravers in Bathgate partied in an abandoned hospital before setting it alight, whilst 22 officers of the Met. Police Force were injured having been called out to a street party in Brixton last Wednesday.
Notably, two established free party crews (who organise illegal raves across the UK) condemned the lockdown-defying events. In an anonymous joint message relayed to Mixmag, the organisations stated that they “absolutely condemn anyone doing free parties during the lockdown”.
“Free parties are about defying bad laws”, their statement reads, “the laws of property keep some people homeless whilst others own multiple glittering palaces that they keep empty … However, the lockdown isn’t a ‘bad law’ – it’s not even really a law. In reality, the government has not enforced a proper lockdown like other countries, and the elite – like Dominic Cummings – have completely ignored it. It’s been the working class who have actually done their best to keep the most vulnerable safe, and free parties – as a working class cultural movement – will absolutely hold the line too”.
Anyone who suspects a rave or illegal gathering is being set up or notices any suspicious activity is asked to call 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
