Hackney Mayor condemns ‘shocking’ 300-person illegal rave raided by police

Over £15,000 in fines have been issued by police after 300 people were caught at an illegal railway arch rave on Saturday 23 January, in a mass breach of Covid regulations condemned by Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville as “shocking.”

Officers deployed to the event at Nursery Road found loud music coming from inside, with police having to force entry into the small space packed with people after organisers proved uncooperative and doors padlocked from the inside to stop police getting in.

Dozens are understood to have scaled fences at the rear of the arch and others forced open a gate to get away from officers. 78 people were stopped and issued with fixed penalty notices to the value of £200 for breaching Covid regulations by attending an illegal gathering.

Chief Superintendent Roy Smith, who attended the incident, said: “This was a serious and blatant breach of the public health regulations and the law in relation to unlicensed music events.

“Officers were forced, yet again, to put their own health at risk to deal with a large group of incredibly selfish people who were tightly packed together in a confined space – providing an ideal opportunity for this deadly virus to spread.

“Our frontline officers continue to police this public health crisis with compassion and professionalism but it is completely unacceptable they have to face such needless risks to their own health and to their families too.

“Whilst we will always seek to engage and explain, the message to those who have a total disregard for the safety of others and breach the law so blatantly is clear, our officers will act swiftly and decisively. Not just organisers, but all those present at such illegal parties can expect to be issued a fine.”

Detective Chief Superintendent Marcus Barnett, Central East BCU Commander, said: “This event was organised in advance and each one of the 300 people who chose to turn up did so knowing they were putting themselves, their loved ones and the wider community at risk.

“I hope our response and the issuing of more than £15,000 in fines demonstrates that we will not tolerate blatant breaches of the rules that are in place to keep everyone safe. I’m proud of the officers who dealt with this crowd and all those who continue to work on the frontline at this unprecedented time.”

Coronavirus cases in Hackney remain high, with thirty-one Hackney residents registered as having died of coronavirus in the week leading up to 8 January, the highest since April and the first wave of the pandemic.

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville said: “Once again we see another shocking, large-scale illegal event being held in the borough, putting lives at risk through flagrant breaching of lockdown rules.

“While communities across Hackney and the country are making serious sacrifices to try to curb the spread of the virus and ease pressure on the NHS, a selfish minority of people continue to act in a way that puts them and others in serious danger of contracting or passing on this deadly virus.

“The council has been doing everything in its power to get the Stay at Home message out to all communities, from engaging community leaders to the distribution of thousands of info posters and banners across the borough.

“And just last Saturday we undertook a day of action with our enforcement team and the police – regular occurrences throughout the pandemic – to engage and inform on the rules.

“However, it’s clear some people are simply unwilling to engage and we’ll be working with the police to see how we can support the prevention of such events in future. I want to thank the police for shutting down the event and welcome the many fines handed out to lawbreakers.”