U.K. lawmakers hoped to curb the surge in illegal raves amid COVID-19 lockdowns by imposing a fine of £10,000 on Friday, August 28th. Despite their best efforts, this past weekend saw large gatherings take place in London, Leeds, South Wales, and other parts of the country.
Sky News reports that two organizers of a Banwen gathering of 3,000 will be forced to pay the penalty, as will eight people involved with various West Yorkshire events. Two DJs who played a party in Burley have had their equipment seized on top of the fines, as was the case with a Norfolk event where several were arrested.
The Metropolitan Police disclosed that they are fining four individuals £10,000 apiece in connection with an event in Hackney Wick, East London. They are continuing to investigate 58 reported illegal events after having shut down 21 of them.
U.K. response to “plague raves” has been more aggressive than that of some other European countries. France moved to lift bans on events of 5,000 or less last week, and the German government is seeking out open-air spaces for social distancing-compliant events to curb their own rise in illegal gatherings.
Rave promoters aren’t the only ones targeted by the new guidance, as British politician Jeremy Corbyn‘s brother, Piers, was fined in connection with an anti-lockdown protest in London’s Trafalgar Square.
