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To: Theresa May, the home secretary

Call for free parties and free festivals to be made legal in the uk

We request that you address, in parliament, the appeal for the legalisation of free parties and celebrations of a similar manner. We believe it would be in the interest of all involved to allow the control and regulation of said gatherings rather than merely confiscating thousands of pounds worth of equipment and falsely persecuting a majority of those involved. It would make such events considerably safer which, after 3 stabbings in the last 2 months, is becoming more and more necessary.

If private contractors were able to regulate rather than simply attempt to stop these events, it would discourage those who merely see it as an opportunity to commit heinous crimes from attending as they perceive it to be a place where laws are not enforced. If you compare said parties to an event in your average city or club setting, they would appear somewhat docile and uneventful. In contrast, bouncers are assaulted on a daily basis, yet in what is said to be the controlled environment of a night club, or a bar. I feel it would also be in the interest of the public that, instead of being chased away to another location causing more distress and hassle to those involved, the police can co-operate with organisers allowing for a much more relaxed event. If this were the case it would also allow for more to be done about providing litter solutions such as semi-permanent bins to minimise the impact that is left on other citizens and the environment.

On many occasions, parties are shut down based upon section 14A of the public order act, when in fact they take place upon land that A) is neither used nor owned by a member of the public, and B) the party does not disturb, harass, distress or alarm anyone due to the mere fact that it is not even within a kilometre, let alone ear shot of any other member of the public. I would further like to address the attempt to change laws of the anti-social behaviour, crime and policing bill. This generic, vague and subjective new law would mean that any police officer who finds the mere presence of somebody 'annoying', he or she has the right to arrest them, and then continue to issue them with a fine into bracket 4, or even up to 3 months in prison. This subjective measurement and persecution of people who may even want to get together be it to, protest, celebrate, conform or even mourn can be persecuted for doing so based on the analysis of a situation provided by what is usually a heavy handed constable with a biased opinion based upon stereotypes falsely formulated by a corrupt media.

All we ask is that these new laws be abolished, the people who attend or set up free parties are no longer prosecuted for doing so and that equipment can no longer be confiscated under the anti-social behaviour act as there is nothing anti-social about a niche group of people coming together in a controlled environment trying enjoy themselves listening to music that a majority of clubs and bars will simply not allow to be played, despite attempts made by both myself and many other to allow for the same free party atmosphere, to be transferred into a legitimate setting.

Why is this important?

This is important because after so many years of governments and police trying to shut down our scene we are still here and we still feel we are doing no harm. If you feel the same then please sign this petition and get this issue addressed by the people who can make a change.

Updates

2014-03-18 13:52:53 +0000

20,000 signatures reached

2013-11-20 11:26:45 +0000

10,000 signatures reached

2013-11-11 18:02:57 +0000

5,000 signatures reached

2013-11-09 20:13:18 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2013-11-09 13:26:28 +0000

500 signatures reached

2013-11-08 17:28:23 +0000

100 signatures reached

2013-11-08 14:21:05 +0000

50 signatures reached

2013-11-08 12:16:26 +0000

25 signatures reached

2013-11-08 00:30:30 +0000

10 signatures reached