Opinion
I have interest in youth culture (even though I’m 40 something!)(now 50 something!!!!) and the `alternative’ at large. Together with my involvement with advice agencies; I have become increasingly concerned that people can have access to information and news on the practical effects of a number of changes to the law including.
- Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions Act) 1982
- Public Order Act 1986
- Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994
- Entertainments (Increased penalties) Act 1990
- Noise Act 1996
- Security Services Act 1996
- Public Entertainments Licensing (Drug Misuse) Bill
- Police Bill
- Terrorism Bill
- +
- Dancing till Dawn – Safely: Home office supported guidlines.
Many of these measures are having increasingly serious effects on the lives of those affected. I don’t realy think that they’ve finished then.
Some of my involvement so far …..
Free festivals since at school 1971 onwards. Trained as an accident Ambulanceman in the mid 70’s. Joined the `Release’ advice organisation and then formed `Festival Aid’ to do welfare work directly at festival. Belief in the ethics that mean we have to sort out our own `services’ to make it all work without reference to `them’. (Anarchy, I suppose!).
Was a trustee of Festival Welfare Service and the Travellers Aid Trust that co-ordinated lots of groups to try and maintain these services. A lot of hard work went straight down the tube with the police action at the `Battle of the Beanfield’. Travellers had become an important part of the scene. Links between the travellers and festival goers meant that many thousands were involved and the authorities (I think) put on a public display of violence to try to intimidate those that might have wished to join with us and also to set up `internal stresses’. There followed a complete collapse of our own economy.
Think `raving’ outside was invented as a direct effect of the public order act 1986 (music influence aside.) ( what a statement!) Aimed at festivals and travellers, Sect 39 said on land that if 3 people bring with them more than 12 vehicle for the common purpose of residing there, then they commit offences. Well, what if they stayed up all night, had a DO, and then fucked off again before this residing bit took force.
CJA caught up with some of this now saying 2 people and 6 vehicles! also a little section about `repetitive beats’! It’s taken them about 25 years to push me from the fields outside `getting on down’ with my own kind. A lot of folk have now grown up with different ideas of what it is to be `different’ deviant. Hence club culture. Sure a lot of people would still like to be outside.
Set out to explain the plot continues. Different music and beat , different colour scheme and style. But exactly the same human needs of getting together with your own kind to `identify’. Why I’m still here I suppose. Same motives in the law still trying control `dangerous developments’ in youth culture.
Think we can still expect `examples’ to be made as they try to retain pressures to keep it all down.
