We cannot tolerate this in the middle of a Public Health crisis is the message from Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham as he, Deputy Mayor Bev Hughes and Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey faced questions on last weekend’s two illegal raves in the Greater Manchester area.
The gatherings at Daisy Nook and Carrington attracted crowds of 6,000 and saw the death of a 20 year old from a suspect drug overdose, the alleged rape of a teenage girl and a stabbing which has left a young man in intensive care.
The message from Greater Manchester is clear,hose attending an illegal rave face the prospect of arrest and prosecution. They are utterly unacceptable and we will do all we can to prevent them from happening.
ACC Bailey told the media that intelligence in the case of Carrington, was thin on the ground as was only found out once it had begun.
In the case of Daisy Nook, the information had led them to another event which was to be held in Hattersley and a lack of cross information between two police forces meant that as it moved there was little that they could do to prevent it.
In a statement issued at the same time he added
“A top priority for us will always be the safety of our communities and we will continue to strike the balance of proportionality and wider public safety with our overall response to incidents such as these ones. Under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, we can intervene in incidents and prosecute anyone who has taken part in any illegal activity – whether that be drug supply or public disorder and any violence. We are sending a strong warning to those thinking about attending such events – you could face enforcement action and receive a criminal record.
“In normal times, the people of Greater Manchester will know that we boast a fantastic night-time economy and we have been home to many festivals, music events and concerts. Year after year we proudly welcome people to Greater Manchester to enjoy the fantastic events we have to offer. However, it’s imperative to stress just how much planning and meticulous organisation goes into these events in order to keep you safe. From rigorous security measures as attendees arrive, to fully staffed medical tents where treatment can be administered quickly and effectively, as well as stringent crowd management measures. There is absolutely no doubt that this kind of planning and preparation saves lives.
“There is also the key issue of accessibility for emergency service workers. If something goes wrong, there are clear plans and procedures in place to ensure that whoever is in trouble will be able to receive the assistance they need – whether this be from paramedics, police officers or security guards. In an unlicensed event like the ones we saw last weekend, on some occasions, emergency services workers struggled to get to people who were in need because of the sheer number of people who were in attendance and the non-existent planning around crowd management and safety.”
He added:
“Clearly over the weekend a number of people needed our help and it’s disappointing to see that some of our officers were met with anger and violence, even whilst administering life-saving first aid. This is simply not acceptable, police officers work tirelessly to protect our communities and keep people safe. They are committed to this and don’t deserve to be treated in this way.
“I would also like to send a really clear message to organisers of illegal raves and events. I would implore you to seriously consider the risks and understand that as organisers, it is your responsibility to keep people safe. There are often young teenagers in attendance, who are putting their lives in your hands. We also have to stress that we will do our very utmost to work with licensing authorities to ensure that anyone who is found organising these kind of events, or supplying equipment such as generators, is dealt with robustly and faces the fullest consequences. You too could also face prosecution. So please, I would ask people to think beforehand and ask yourself if it’s worth it.”
Andy Burnham said that with the relaxing of lockdown measures and the handling of the Cummings affair, the Governement’s message has been diluted and that it needed to work harder to refresh that public health messaging.
Baroness Bev Hughes, Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime said that the event challenged the ability of the police to respond to somereally critical situations that were happening all over Greater Manchester that evening.
They included domestic incidents one which saw a ten year old boy was hurt defending his mother, as well as an attempted murder, two children dying in separate incidents, a knife point robbery by a 13 year old boy and an accident when a fourteen year old was seriously injured riding a motorbike
“The vast majority of Greater Manchester residents have played their part to help fight coronavirus. But the reckless actions of the organisers of last weekend’s illegal raves and those who attended have cast a shadow over our communities, putting an unnecessary strain on our emergency services, putting our residents at risk, and sadly leading to tragedy for some attendees.
“We saw the real Greater Manchester in the aftermath, when residents came out to help the clean-up and I want to appeal to that strong community spirit today. Please help us to keep our communities safe and report any information to the police so they can take action. And if you are thinking of attending these illegal events, you are putting yourself and loved ones at risk so please think again.”
