Pubdate: Thu, 15 May 2003
Source: FFWD (CN AB)
Copyright: 2003 FFWD
Contact:  http://www.greatwest.ca/ffwd/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1194
Author: Tom Babin

LINKING DRUGS TO EVENTS IS UNFAIR, SAYS RAVE COMMUNITY

Members of Calgary's rave community say they feel attacked and pigeonholed 
by police and media reports about drug use at raves.

A nine-month sting operation targeted at the city's rave scene was recently 
touted by police for a number of drug arrests and netting drugs like 
ecstasy and ketamine. Repeated phone calls to police requesting comment on 
the operation were not returned.

Members of Calgary's rave community say linking drug use to raves is 
unfair, especially because many feel a true rave scene has been stifled in 
Calgary under the controversial extended dance bylaw -- much-anticipated 
changes to the bylaw are still being developed.

Lucie Vlach, a member of a dance community organization who is working with 
city hall on changes to the bylaw, says she was surprised by the news of 
the drug busts because the bylaw has resulted in very few raves taking 
place in Calgary.

She adds that the bylaw's requirement that promoters pay for off-duty 
police officers to patrol raves is among the more contentious aspects of 
the bylaw because that expense is too much for many promoters. Such 
expenses mean most promoters can only stage small, unlicensed events.

Vlach says the dance community has been pushing for changes to those 
requirements, and she questions police motivations for targeting raves.

"I'm speculating, but maybe we're seeing all this in the media for police 
to justify their presence at events," she says. "I think some of this is to 
show that (police) presence is needed."

Craig Booone, another member of Calgary's dance community, says he is 
getting tired of the scene being labelled as a drug haven because drugs are 
no more prevalent at raves than at schools and nightclubs, where busts are 
rarely front-page news.

"If it was a Rod Stewart concert where everybody was smoking pot, you 
wouldn't hear about it," Boone says. "The police nick one or two dealers, 
well, you're talking about one per cent of the community. You can't hold 
the other 99 per cent accountable for that.

"As far as the community is concerned, it's good riddance -- nobody wants 
dealers around raves."

Vlach says it's wrong to assume that raves are a hotbed of drug activity, 
and that such stereotypes further sully the reputation of those struggling 
to make positive changes to the bylaw and create a true community.

"We may be the headache, but we're not the tumour. We're getting easily 
blamed because we're a small community," Vlach says.

"Rave culture and club culture and drug culture are not the same thing. 
We're not the cause of the problem."
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MAP posted-by: Beth