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Police were forced to shut down a string of illegal raves in east London last night, the latest in a string of unauthorised events taking place across the UK in recent weeks.
Sections of north-east London were put under dispersal orders as police officers broke up a series of “unlicensed music events”.
Footage from social media showed police clearing out Hackney Downs Park, where hundreds of revellers had met up in breach of social distancing regulations.
According to The Evening Standard, another event took place in Millfields Park in Clapton, East London.
Hackney Police wrote on Twitter at around midnight: A Section 35 Dispersal Order has been authorised for the entirety of MILLFIELDS PARK E5 by Inspector Norman due to an unlicensed music event.”
They added an hour later: “Due to a number of unlicensed music events in the areas of Hackney Downs park and Cecilia Road a Sec 35 dispersal zone has been authorised.”
A Section 35 Dispersal Order has been authorised for the entirety of MILLFIELDS PARK E5 by Inspector Norman due to an unlicensed music event. This dispersal is in place in order to prevent disorder
— Hackney Police (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MPSHackney) July 5, 2020
Due to a number of unlicensed music events in the areas of Hackney Downs park and Cecilia Road, a Sec 35 dispersal zone has been authorised by Insp Weeks from 21:20 05/07/20 til 11:00 06/07/20 within the E5, E8 and N16 postcodes.
— Hackney Police (gov.uk/coronavirus) (@MPSHackney) July 5, 2020
The dispersal order covered three different postcodes and remained in force until 11am this morning (July 6).
The unauthorised event took place only 48 hours after seven police officers were injured in London after breaking up an illegal music event.
A number of items were reportedly thrown at police when they attempted to approach the event in White City on Friday evening, before they were forced to retreat, according to The Guardian.
Last month (June 12), two illegal raves took place in Greater Manchester where a man died of a suspected overdose, a woman was raped, and three people were stabbed.
According to the BBC, 6,000 people flocked to Daisy Nook Country Park and Carrington for what have been dubbed “quarantine raves.”
Police were called to both scenes and later confirmed that a 20-year-old man died of a suspected overdose at the the country park event while three separate stabbings and an attack on an 18-year-old woman took place in Carrington.
Condemning the raves as a clear breach of coronavirus legislation, Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes said officers “were met with violence, resulting in items being thrown and a police car being vandalised.”
With the summer festival and live music season effectively wiped out by the coronavirus outbreak, there are fears many young people will turn to illegal mass gatherings throughout the summer.
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