In two seperate illegal raves taking place this past weekend in Greater Manchester, UK – attended by at least 6,000 people – saw the death of one man due a suspected drug overdose, the alleged rape of a woman and three stabbing incidents.
As the weather is beginning to change in the Northern Hemisphere and move forward into summer, more people are beginning to venture out and push the limits of the law: along with the building frustration of citizens who have been required to make personal sacrifices when it comes to leaving their homes and foregoing large gatherings in order to protect the health and safety of the general public – along with the increasingly tumultuous protests from protesters fighting against racism, and in turn far-right extremist reactionaries – the chaos seems to be only be increasing despite the continued threat of COVID-19, with the UK holding the third highest death toll in the world.
Before continuing, it is also important to mention that a report from the Office Of National Statistics for England and Wales: Black, Asian and those of minority ethnicities are more likely to lose their lives to the virus, with Black people four times more likely to die than those who are white.
While many are anxious to return to their previous sense of “normality”, especially as live music and gatherings have come to a complete halt – unfortunately, while we are all struggling with the loss of our beloved cultural experiences: there are those who are severely defying lockdown rules which is proving to be extremely dangerous in a multitude of ways, especially considering the events this past weekend.
Following a report from The Guardian, an estimated 6,000 people attended two different illegal raves in Greater Manchester which resulted in the stabbing of three people, the death of one man (from a suspected drug overdose) and the alleged rape of an 18 year old woman.
Currently, only gatherings of six people are allowed under coronavirus restrictions in England.
The three stabbings and suspected rape took place at one rave in Carrington, where an estimated 2,000 people attended – many of whom, based on clips and photographs from the events, were not wearing masks.
Similarly, a separate illegal rave that took place in Failsworth – attended by an estimated 4,000 people – sadly saw the death of a 20 year old man due a suspected drug overdose.
The police did not move in to disperse the raves: apparently in order to avoid further people getting hurt and the crowd turning violent, only intervening regarding the stabbing incidents in Carrington.
See footage below via JOE. Please be aware there is content warning for the below video, as there are some who may find a portion of the footage disturbing.
This weekend, over 6000 people in Manchester broke lockdown to attend illegal raves.
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) June 15, 2020
Now @gmpolice are investigating 3 stabbings, a drugs related death and a rape. pic.twitter.com/Avv3E4fWZ3
Feature Image: Free To Use Image Via Nick Fewings on Unsplash
