Benefit Night Against Police Brutality

bristol | policing | event notice Wednesday July 09, 2008 11:00 by Bang0ut0f 0rder - B.O.O.O.

Raising funds to pay for equipment smashed up by police at a peaceful party on Mayday bank holiday weekend

On Saturday the 12th of July we will be having a benefit party to raise awareness about police brutality on the rave scene and to help raise some funds for damaged equipment and vehicles at the Rochdale May Bank Holiday weekend party.

Right click on this image to download and print - it is your invitation to the party.

Over mayday bank holiday weekend 2008 a free multi-soundsystem party was held in an abandoned quarry near Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The quarry was miles from housing and thus caused no noise complaints and was on a disused industrial site (the quarry) so environmental damage was negligible.

On Sunday at around 4pm riot police and mounted police entered the party site, batons raised and dogs barking. Rather than negotiate with any of the wiling spokespeople they immediately went for sound-systems, destroying equipment and brutally attacking anyone who stood in the way or even tried to reason with them. After this initial sweep through they returned as night was falling to evict everyone threatening arrest for non-compliance and forcing drivers into cars who had failed the breathalyser.

Luckily, police violence in the UK is relatively low compared to 10 or 20 years ago. However it seems that free parties, well out of sight of CCTV cameras and populated by media demonised 'drug crazed revelers' are one of the few acceptable fronts of police brutality left. Indeed Rochdale was not an isolated incident, there have been huge a number of parties across the UK in which people have been beaten up in the past year - very few have lead to prosecutions against the police.

On Saturday the 12th of July we will be having a benefit party to raise awareness about police brutality on the rave scene and to help raise some funds for damaged equipment and vehicles. This is a private party so bring your invitation/flyer if you want to get it.

WHERE: The Red Factory, Portland Square, St Pauls

WHEN: SAT 12th July, 9pm - 2am Amplified music, then till 6am acoustic

WHAT: BANDS: Kilnaboy [avinit anarcho folk-punk], Circus of Invention [mad experimental punkd up stuff], Officer Down [Hardcore punk hip hop] + OPEN MIC upstairs hosted by Kev the poet + projections and exhibition on police violence at raves.

COST: £3 donation

with no negotiation began beating partygoers, seizing and destroying eqiupment. This it seems is one of the few 'acceptable' forms of brutal police violence left in the UK. (see footage here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrtK-PmzLdo&NR=1 )

On the 12th of July we are doing a benefit gig to raise some funds to replace busted equipment. Dont miss it. The attached flyer is your personal invitation to this private event.

WHERE: The Red Factory, Portland Sq., St. Pauls

WHEN: SAT 12th July, 9am - 2pm amplified music then acoustic stuff till 6am.

BANDS: Kinaboy, Officer Down, Circus of Invention

+ Plus DJs & Open mic night upstairs hosted by Kev the Poet.

Police with barking dog

Menacing police line

Police wrecking equipment