Forums > Social Discussion > US - SWAT excessive force in shutting down rave

Party in Utah, US ends with helicopters and SWAT in full tactical gear sending partygoers fleeing-



Saturday night, August 20th, 2005-



Video of SWAT roughing up 'ravers'- Same video, different mirrors-

https://homepage.mac.com/apexgrin/FileSharing2.html

https://djmuteyproductions.com/fascism.mov

https://www.angrymobclan.com/facism.mov

https://fatbaron.com/videos.html
*Torrent Files here*

https://www.utrave.org/media/fascism.mov

https://www.utrave.org/media/fascism.wmv

https://www.herbix.org/facism.wmv



www.utrave.org



as posted by Knick/Evol Intent

"Last night, I was booked to play an event about an hour outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. The hype behind this show was huge, they presold 700 tickets and they expected up to 3,000 people total. The promoters did an amazing job with the show.. they even made slipmats with the flyers on them to promote in local shops.



So, we got to the show around 11:15 or so and it was really cool. It was all outdoors, in a valley surrounded by huge mountains. They had an amazing light show flashing on to a mountain behind the site, the sound was booming, the crowd was about 1500 people thick and everything just seemed too good to be true really. Well...



At about 11:30 or so, I was standing behind the stage talking with someone when I noticed a helicopter pulling over one of the mountain tops. I jokingly said "Oh look, here comes big brother" to the person I was with. I wasn't far off.



The helicopter dipped lower and lower and started shining its lights on the crowd. I was kind of in awe and just sat and watched this thing circle us for a minute. As I looked back towards the crowd I saw a guy dressed in camoflauge walking by, toting an assault rifle. At this point, everyone was fully aware of what was going on . A few "troops" rushed the stage and cut the sound off and started yelling that everyone "get the f*ck out of here or go to jail". This is where it got really sticky.



No one resisted. That's for sure. They had police dogs raiding the crowd of people and I saw a dog signal out a guy who obviously had some drugs on him. The soldiers attacked the guy (4 of them on 1), and kicked him a few times in the ribs and had their knees in his back and sides. As they were cuffing him, there was about 1000 kids trying to leave in the backdrop, peacefully. Next thing I know, A can of f*cking TEAR GAS is launched into the crowd. People are running and screaming at this point. Girls are crying, guys are cussing... bad scene.



Now, this is all I saw with my own eyes, but I heard plenty of other accounts of the night. Now this isnt gossip I heard from some candy raver, these are instances cited straight out of the promoters mouth..



- One of the promoters friends (a very small female) was attacked by one of the police dogs. As she struggled to get away from it, the police tackled her. 3 grown men proceeded to KICK HER IN THE STOMACH.



- The police confiscated 3 video tapes in total. People were trying to document what was happening out there. The police saw one guy filming and ran after him, tackled him and his camera fell, and luckily.. his friend grabbed it and ran and got away. priceless footage. That's not all though. Out of 1,500 people, there's sure to be more footage.



- The police were rounding up the staff of the party and the main promoter went up to them with the permit for the show and said "here, I have the permit." The police then said, "no you don't" and ripped the permit out of his hand. Then, they put an assault rifle to his forehead and said "get the f*ck out of here right now."







Now.. let's get the facts straight here.



This event was 100% legal. They had every permit the city told them they needed. They had a 2 MILLION DOLLAR insurance policy for the event. They had liscenced security guards at the gates confiscating any alcohol or drugs found upon entry (yes, they searched every car on the way in). Oh, I suppose I should mention that they arrested all the security guards for possession.



Oh another interesting fact.. the police did not have a warrant. The owner of the land already has a lawsuit against the city for something similar. A few months ago, she rented her land for a party and the police raided that as well. And catch this, the police forced her to LEAVE HER OWN PERSONAL PROPERTY. That's right. They didnt arrest her, but made her leave her own property!!!



Don't get it twisted, this is all going down in probably THE most conservative state in the USA. And this is scary.. a gross violation of our civil liberties. The police wanted this party shut down, so they made it happen. Even though everything about this event was legal. The promoters spent over $ 20,000 on this show and did everything they had to to make it legit, only to have it taken away from them by a group of radical neo-con's with an agenda.



This was one of the scariest things I have ever witnessed in person. I can't even begin to describe how surreal it was. Helicopters, assault rifles, tear gas, camoflauge-wearing soldiers.... why? Was that really necessary?



This needs to be big news across the USofA. At least in our music scene (edm as a whole)... this could happen to any of us at any time. When we're losing the right to gather peacefully, we're also letting the police set a standard of what we can get away with. And I think that's BULLSHIT!



The system f*cked up last night... They broke up a party that was 100% legal and they physically hurt a lot of people there at the same time. The promoters already have 6 lawsuits ready to file with their lawyers and the ACLU is already involved.



I'm sure some pictures (and hopefully some video) will surface soon. I'll make sure to post them up here on 404, so you can see the Police State of America at work. "



What can we do?



THE VIDEO

https://homepage.mac.com/apexgrin/FileSharing2.html

https://djmuteyproductions.com/fascism.mov

https://www.angrymobclan.com/facism.mov

https://fatbaron.com/videos.html
*Torrent Files here*

https://www.utrave.org/media/fascism.mov

https://www.utrave.org/media/fascism.wmv

https://www.herbix.org/facism.wmv





Utah News Coverage

https://www.co.utah.ut.us/News/DeptN...HERIFF&ID=17759

https://www.abc4.tv/local_news/local...AE-9988C45CE8A7

https://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=96651

https://www.fox13.com/





User Posts

https://utah.indymedia.org/news/2005/08/11330.php

https://forums.di.fm/showthread.php?t=85779&page=2

https://flyservers.com/members5/poli...tah_police.html





TAKE A STAND!!!!!!

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info@markshurtleff.com



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jon@votehuntsman.com



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go to https://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,77538,00.html
and click "email story"



ABC news

https://abcnews.go.com/Reference/story?id=54216
(lots of shows to contact)



USA today

https://asp.usatoday.com/marketing/f...ne.aspx?type=18



LA times

https://www.latimes.com/services/sit...44908.htmlstory



https://www.aclu.org/

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news@abc4.tv

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The freedoms America fights for in other countries are still lacking on the home front! Please help spread the word and right this injustice! Some of my friends were at this party...

To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire

back

I live in a world of infinite possibilities.

back

Written by: DeepSoulSheep

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Wow!

My favourite quotes from media links
"raid police seized weapons and drugs, including marijuana, ecstasy, psychadelic mushrooms, cocaine and alcohol" - did I mention weapons?

and this great closing paragraph...

"Police also confiscated counterfeit currency at the event and encountered a 17-year old who had overdosed on ecstasy. "

When first reading this my initial reaction was that it must've been next to a secret army base or somthing...

I hope enough publicity can be generated from this to stop in happening again... though me impression on Utah is probably more liberal than it really is....

---

Chief adviser to the Pharaoh, in one very snazzy mutli-coloured coat

'Time goes by so slowly for those who wait...' - Whatever Happend To Baby Madonna?

To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire

Written by:

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I wanted to reply to an email written to an Alex from the UK about the Rave that was torn to shreds by Utah County law enforcement. I want you to know up front that I did not attend this party, but I am concerned for my own safety in the future. I spent two years licensed as an armed security officer, and I’ve worked security at more raves than I can count. I’ve [/size]confiscated more drugs than I can even begin to name. I’ve also turned over ALL of the drugs I’ve ever confiscated to local law enforcement. I’ve been hearing that they arrested the security officers from the party for possession of drugs and paraphernalia. Of course they’re going to have stuff on them!! They were searching cars at the gate, as I’ve personally done many times. Often security officers will catch things, put them in a pocket and keep searching. At the end of the night the material was handed over to myself or my partner to be turned into the police. This particular issue has me concerned because I do not have the resources to fight the justice system if this kind of thing happens again. By arresting the security officers, they make it THAT much harder to find GOOD security people, who are honest and want to make a difference in the Rave community. So promoters are forced to settle for lower quality people, and more things make it into the parties. It’s a vicious cycle that the police departments themselves are starting. They want the drugs off the street, leave us alone, let us do our jobs, and they’ll see results. I got out of doing Rave security because someone in our team violated our rules and trust, and nearly got us all arrested for his stupidity. I’ve only recently began doing security again and passed up this particular party because I already had plans. This is only the beginning of what has gotten me so concerned.



I did security at a party called SEQUENCE in the middle of July, and as I was heading home I was harassed by Utah County Sheriffs Deputies waiting at the bottom of the hill for us. They pulled me over for a “burned out license plate light” which was their excuse for at least another DOZEN or so vehicles leaving the party. They asked me if I was on drugs or had been drinking, and I was wearing Military BDU’s, with a name tape with my last name on my right breast, and SECURITY on a tape on my left breast. I was also wearing a black baseball hat that said SECURITY across it. He asked me quite snidely if I were on “military operations” up at the party, and I simply told him I’d been working security for the party, and which he sneered and laughed at. He told me to warn the promoters that the next party WOULD get shut down, threw my license and registration in my lap, turned around and walked away. This act in itself tells me that this has been in the works for quite some time. They were obviously upset that they did not have the man power to shut Sequence down and came at the promoter of THIS party with a vengeance.



My next issue is the brutality by the police. I’ve seen video of people being taken down at the party, police dogs SNAPPING at scared, unarmed individuals. I don’t know if anyone has provided you a link to this video, but I’d be happy to forward to it if you’d like. This kind of behavior by the police is amazing to me. With the police we’d like to expect that they’ll behave with professionalism, integrity, and empathy. I laugh as I see the news report of all these alleged “near fatal shootings” at raves, as I’d worked them for two years, and NEVER had to draw a firearm, and I never even felt that I was in danger. Sure, I’ve taken people into custody and waited for the police to come pick them up, sure I’ve broken up fights, but in all honestly the majority of the people who attend these parties are peaceful people, who don’t want drama, don’t want fights, they just want to go to a party, dance as hard as they can to the music that moves their souls. Absolute brutality to these kind of people outrages me to no limit. I expected that the police would shut down another party, which is not even the issue, it’s the way they handled themselves. I never would have imagined that they would be recruiting SWAT teams to handle these people. I can see calling SWAT on a Rap show where they’re going off about rape, murder, drugs and money. I don’t even see why you would need to be recruiting K9 units to break up a rave. They had helicopters overhead with infrared cameras, so you can’t even say that they needed it to be able to find someone that took off running. I think that the addition of K9’s to SWAT for a rave, is completely uncalled for and SEVERE overkill. I don’t know how familiar you are with electronic music, but most of it doesn’t even have lyrics. And never have I heard any that endorses drug abuse, rape, violence like the police ACT like it induces. Sure, in ANY music gathering you have, you will have drug use of some sort. People see the Grateful dead, and they smoke weed, do acid and whatever else floats their boat. You go see Snoop Dogg, you have people Smoking weed like there’s no tomorrow. I mean, the only music you can go to without finding people abusing drugs in one form or another would be things like Classical, Opera, and Yanni or Enya. Even then, half the classical composers wrote their music while drunk or hopped up on drugs. Drugs and music will inevitably forever be linked together in some way shape or form. It’s one of those sad things that we’re powerless to change, no matter how we try.



The Police stated that there was a 17 year old girl who had overdosed on ecstasy that they found, not the promoters, and they said the girl was treated on site, and released to her parents. I’m sorry, but when you’ve overdosed on a drug, it typically requires hospitalization for at least 6 hours. You don’t just “treat” an overdose on site. Not only that, but MDMA itself is VERY hard to overdose on because it causes the neural receptors to be flooded with serotonin, a chemical in the brain, produced by the brain. It’s all the other dirty stuff floating around that she would have been overdosed on, and I can tell you a methamphetamine overdose is NOT something that an EMT can treat with water. You see, with Ecstasy, there is MDMA which is the primary component, but its non-cohesive. It can not on its own be pressed into a pill. So drug makers combine it with things from cocaine, to meth, to lord knows what else. That in itself is what makes taking Ecstasy so dangerous. You NEVER know what the other components are, nor do you know the quantity of what you’re taking. So honestly, I have to call the Sheriffs office’s bluff on the alleged Overdose.



In closing, I want to thank you for enduring my two page letter as to my outrage and concern regarding this entire fiasco. The police departments are looking at MANY law suits, and I pray to God that they are held accountable for the severe lack of good judgment displayed by City officials, Police administrators, and the officers themselves. I hope you take this community seriously, and help us have our cry heard loud and clear by ALL law enforcement agencies that have sensationalized our community to the very outer limits of the truth. Please make our voices be heard, and please act with the very integrity, honor, and professionalism that we all hope will be given to this ordeal.



Sincerely,

Sean.

P.S. I’m 25 years old. I’m hardly a “kid” as the law enforcement community refers to us.

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To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire

back

Keep your dream alive
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Shalom VeAhavah

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Written by: lightning

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Only the naive ever accused this of being a free country.

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Written by: lightning

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Welcome to the United States of Police.

---

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

Keep your dream alive
Dreamin is still how the strong survive

Shalom VeAhavah

New Hampshire has a point....

ture na sig

Written by: 87wt2gxq7

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Can you not feel the way the wind is blowing dave? This story, Guantanimo Bay, the USA Patriot Act, ID cards, the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, do you not think that this is all getting increasingly scary increasingly quickly?

---

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

"You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it."

--MAJOR KORGO KORGAR,
"Last of The Lancers"
AFC 32


Educate your self in the Hazards of Fire Breathing STAY SAFE!

-v-

Wiederstand ist Zwecklos!

Getting to the other side

Written by: Pyrolific

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wow - I cant help but draw comparison between this and what happened at Czechtech this year... at least no-one died at this one.

Czechtech link;
https://scotland.indymedia.org/newswire/display/1980/index.php

all around me I see the values our goverments are killing people in other nations in the name of being erroded in our own

---

"Moo," said the happy cow.

Well, shall we go?
Yes, let's go.
[They do not move.]

To do: More Firedrums 08 video?

Wildfire/US East coast fire footage

LA/EDC glow/fire footage

Fresno fire