After last weekend’s illegal raves fueled speculation that the summer may bring a surge of illicit parties, Manchester officials have formally addressed public concerns. Mayor Andy Burnham, Deputy Mayor Beverly Hughes, and Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey have promised swift intervention in future events in a YouTube video titled “Response to illegal raves in Greater Manchester.”
Burnham and company switch off speaking in the hourlong video, discussing two Manchester events that collectively drew 6,000. They shared plans to employ “stronger, more robust and interventionalist” methods in dealing with future events, positing that the gatherings bore “elements of organized crime.”
Restrictions imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 are thought to be responsible for the rise in illegal events. Night Time Industries Association Chief Executive Mike Kill attributed their defiance to the absence of a clear-cut reopening timeline in conversation with The Guardian.
In the video, Hughes forewarned that Manchester authorities would use every resource at their disposal to prevent illicit gatherings in the future. “The last thing we want is a summer of raves,” she said.
Image credit: Dawid Łabno
