Early Sunday morning, police shut down a 500-person rave in the Walthamstow Forest in Northeast London.
After responding to a noise complaint just around 1:00 AM local time, authorities discovered the gathering and began removing attendees. It took them nearly three hours to disperse the crowd once arriving on the scene on account of its size. No arrests were made.
In a quote obtained by Mixmag, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Service stated that unlicensed event organizers are at risk of asset seizure and arrest. “If organizers fail to comply, police will use legislation to seize sound systems and laptops,” read their statement. “Legislation is also used to disperse crowds and ultimately make arrests if people fail to comply.”
An International Concern
Despite differences in mitigation techniques and public adherence to social distancing recommendations, medical concerns brought on by illegal gatherings are a problem worldwide.
Earlier in the month, a gathering under the Kosciuszko Bridge in New York City drew criticism due to its size and lack of health safeguards. While it’s clear people are ready to get back to how life was before COVID-19, experts condemn large unsanctioned gatherings where the virus can spread easily.
Image credit: Long Truong
