they make a good point with regard to genuine racial/religious/cultural persecution and wider political issues but its becoming a lot harder to defend the rave lifestyle (and it is a lifestyle choice, not something you are born with like your ancestry or ethnicity).

Its gone from what once could have been classed as “activism” to a selfish hedonistic lifestyle that even the progressives find hard to defend these days.

Its not just the rabid Daily Mail types who are despairing (and they are never satisfied) but a lot of liberal types who have seen their nice middle class kids or their friends/colleagues go off the rails from drugs despite sites like this giving positive guidance. A lot of criticism comes from the liberal media/communities who were once bigging up “cool brittania” and our nations creativity and culture whilst turning a blind eye to widespread substance use.

None of us here are getting hassle off the feds for debating political issues, or the environment, even personal drug use or anything like that. People are only at risk if they openly brag about something that is now viewed by a consensus as crime/anti-social behaviour.

in the region I have most recently moved to the cops tolerated/endured raves for 20 years because they were done in a low impact fashion. They are only clamping down and criminalising people now because the events have got out of hand and caused actual distress to others.

Yeah! an ethos of responsibility goes hand in hand with rights … but would it be great if peeps who organised these particular events were to come on line and say what they think is going on… i would really like to know because its going to have a negative effect on everyone…

When active organisers in England speak up they will get traced and nicked because of the level of the backlash. It would be like someone robbing a local shop and trying to justify it, even if they gave out all the food to poor people. Normal society still feels a crime has been committed.

However many of the people on here have been involved in free parties in some way or another even if they are no longer actively involved.

The harsh fact is a lot of the “antis” arguements hold true at least in England. There have been actual issues with traffic problems, drug/drunk driving, addiction, and a new breed of ravers who aren’t as “right on” as they once were – with less respect for the environment (rubbish, particularly baloons left behind), they scoff at old skool “hippy” stuff like gender/race equality, and have a “macho” ethos of how big their sound systems can be (irrespective of their effect on others).

Actually its because these youths shouted loud (not so much on here but on the “social networks” more popular with younger teenagers) that the clampdown has happened.

People on here were saying many years ago these problems would come to a head but noone wanted to listen to the bad news.

Wanky behaviour like this isn’t acceptable anywhere, i don’t accept racist or phobic shit on the street or a bus or work same goes with the environment, its my planet too, and im prepared to fight for my place on it and for my rights too and thats with the state or with arseholes…

Dont know if that makes me a hippie though.

this is what is anoying me at the moment.