‘Designed to destroy us’: Italian ravers plan more nationwide protests against new ‘anti-rave’ law
Free-party crews from across Italy and France are planning more collective action against Italy’s newly enshrined “anti-rave” law. Read more
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Anti-Rave Legislation Passes French Senate
A bill just passed by the Senate in France tightens regulations for music events and increases penalties to âŹ3750, which is roughly equivalent to $4,175 USD.
While not yet passed into actual law, the anti-rave legislation aims to “strengthen the supervision of rave parties and sanctions against their organizers.” Next up, the bill will next be presented to the National Assembly, which is the official last step before it is formally adopted into French law.
Trax Magazine, which has followed and reported the developments, explains that the new law would make it mandatory for “meetings” of 500 people or less, even if the “meeting” is intended to be carried on private. Further, the law will “transform the current fifth-class offense into an offense punishable by 400 hours of community service (compared to 120 hours currently) and a fine of ⏠3,750, and thus allow for police custody, search, interrogation, seizure of equipment, etc. . in proceedings against one or more organizers.” The new anti-rave law will also make things much harder for promoters, as it aims to change parameters on noise levels, administrative deadlines and other criteria.
Interviewed by Resident Advisor, French-born, Berlin-based DJ and producer Jennifer Cardini weighed in. “They are basically passing the law that the UK passed in the ’90s. I find this scary and devastating.” She went on to explain what this would mean for fresh promoters and, ultimately, the nurturing of local music scenes: “It is a way to make sure that it’s very difficult for young people to organize a party,” she said. “It’s already difficult to get permits, other authorisationsâthe paperwork is huge. If you’re a young person putting on a rave, that fine is a lot of money, not to mention that they can just take your equipment and soundsystem.
Although the legislation claims that motivation behind these new proposed regulations is to “ensure public safety, public health, hygiene and tranquility, avoid nuisances in the neighborhood and limit the impact on biodiversity,” it is argued that the result is counter-productive.
Rather than dialogue aimed towards harm reduction, the legislation suppresses the creative freedom of promoters and artists in France, ultimately leading to possibly dangerous situations. Critics have understandably referenced the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act in the UK during the 1990s, which succeeded criminalising similar activities for which licensing has not been secured.
No date is currently planned for the National Assembly to consider the proposed anti-rave bill.
Beach Vibes Festival In Tulum Cancelled
In an update on their website, Beach Vibes Festival communicated the cancellation of the event which was supposed to take place from January 27th through January 29th on a Tulum beach in Mexicoâs Riviera Maya. Artists on the bill included event organizers LCD Soundsystem Hot Chip, Carl Craig, DJ Harvey, The Black Madonna, and others.
In a statement posted on the festivalâs website, organizers said, âThe event was not coming together in the way that it was envisioned, and all parties have agreed that putting on an event that is less than 100% would be a disservice to the fans and bands alike.â They also reassured that, âFans who purchased all-inclusive packages will be refunded in full, including related airfare expensesâ
We reported back in May that Tulum city officials had decided to ban rave parties in the village so that guests can continue to enjoy their stay without being bothered by city noise such as those created by raves and parties. Although no information on specifics is known yet, the cancellation leaves us to wonder if Beach Vibesâ cancellation has anything to do with regulation roadblocks. We will update our readers when more information is made available.
Tulum Says “No” to Rave Parties
Photo courtesy of Black Book
Riviera Maya News has reported that Tulum officials have decided to ban rave parties in the otherwise quiet fishing village. According to the news, Roberto Palazuelos Badeux, president of the AsociaciĂłn de Hoteles of Tulum, has stated, “There will be no more rave parties because they bring many negative things such as a large generation of vehicular traffic. Also, such events are held all night and into the early morning, ending at 9:00 a.m. or 10 a.m.â
He went on to precise that the aim of this change is to continue creating an atmosphere in Tulum where guests can continue to enjoy their stay without being bothered by city noise such as those created by raves and parties.
This will have a particular negative effects for those making their ways to the area during BPM Festival week. While the festival itself concentrates on doing parties in Playa del Carmen, individual labels, artists and parties have been holding their own events in nearby Tulum for several years now. The most talked about of these, Day Zero by Damian Lazarus, drew in incredible praise by industry and music fans alike as one of the best parties of the entire calendar year.
Source:Â Riviera Maya News
