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Gatecrasher Suggest Political Motives Prompted Massive Drugs Raid

Author: Skruff
Sunday, May 27, 2001
160 riot cops burst into Gatecrasher's Sheffield home The Republic last Saturday night (19th May) in a massive drugs raid, which the club later suggested was staged to highlight 'the under-funding of South Yorkshire Police'. 13 people were arrested for suspected drugs offences following the three hour operation, during which cops threw a half mile cordon around Matilda Street. Challenging the heavy handed police tactics, Gatecrasher claimed that 'the same results could have been achieved without the use of such drastic force" and suggested that Gatecrasher's international reputation had been a factor. "This guaranteed the platform that the police would require to raise wider political issues," a Gatecrasher spokesman claimed.

Speaking at a press conference this week, Superintendent Steve Hicks, the officer who led the raid, appeared to support the superclub's claims. "The time may have come for nightclubs to pay for policing to deal with the associated crime and disorder," he said. "Sheffield's licensing and entertainment industry is being provided with (a) disproportionate policing service. So many resources are now devoted to the industry that it's almost at the expense of other crimes in the city."

The idea for forcing clubs to pay for police is already being applied in certain parts of the States such as Lewiston, ME, where anybody planning a party must pay for the presence of a police officer for every 250 clubbers in attendance. The strategy is intended 'to get at club owners', The New York Times recently reported, in particular electronic music events. "It is really bad in here," said Erica Miller, a techno music promoter from Detroit. " I think that until we come to whatever agreement we can come to with the city we are going to shy away from techno events. We can't run the risk of our license being in jeopardy."

Gatecrasher also denied police claims that they merely paid 'lip service' to the force's anti drugs strategy. "The Republic vehemently denies this accusation and operates a strict anti-drugs policy in line with all current police and Council guidelines and recommendations," they said. "The issue of drug abuse within society is a national concern that is far reaching from the playgrounds to prisons and cannot be attributed to specific nightclubs, bars or restaurants."

Gatecrasher will be opening as normal this Saturday (May 26th) and their Summer Sound System Event, taking place on Saturday June 16th at Turweston Aerodrome, will be going ahead as planned.
http://www.gatecrasher.co.uk
http://www.emdef.org (US electronic music is under attack; click here for more information)
http://www.aclu.org (America's number 1 civil liberties organisation)
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