Castlemorton Rave Planned As An Excuse For Oppressive Legislation

It is now twenty years since the British government first announced that it was bringing in new laws to prevent free parties and festivals. The legislation that ended up as the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 prompted a mass movement of defiance with long lasting and sometimes unexpected consequences.

Many people would see the origins of the story in the Castlemorton free festival in May 1992. Thousands of people had headed into the English West Country in search of the planned Avon Free Festival. After a massive police initiative – Operation Nomad – they ended up at Castlemorton Common in the Malvern hills. The festival that kicked off there featured sound systems including Bedlam, Circus Warp, Spiral Tribe and DiY. It soon became too big for the police to stop as up to 40,000 people from all over the country gathered for a week long party – many of them attracted by sensationalist TV and newspaper coverage.

datacide-magazine.com...

They "ended up" at Castlemorton. The "sensalionalist TV and newspaper coverage" attracted the crowds. Then it was used to create new legislation.

I was living a different lifestyle by the time Castlemorton happened. I didn't know the in-depth story until I started researching it over the last few days.

The big problem I have with the story is I was warned not to go to Castlemorton five years before. I was told it would be the last big one. The year it would take place wasn't certain but the location had been chosen.

Castlemorton was planned as an excuse for more oppression and many operatives working inside the alternative movement took part. We need to learn from this.

a reply to: Kester

Thankyou for this history Kester. Finding the right time and the right excuse to 'crack down' is an old ploy. One your neighbors in the US need to be wary of. These 'planned' ' peaceful protests' that are gearing up for inauguration day are most probably being viewed with glee and a slobbering of the mouth by those who are waiting for the 'spark' over here.

That looks like it was awesome, The only trouble you see at a free rave is the trouble the riot police start when they show up.

Dont be fooled, the establishment doesnt give a damn about these people out raving all weekend, or there welfare, The thing that scares them is a large group of free thinking people gathering together.

The establishment doesnt like that.....

originally posted by: ColaTesla
That looks like it was awesome, The only trouble you see at a free rave is the trouble the riot police start when they show up.

Dont be fooled, the establishment doesnt give a damn about these people out raving all weekend, or there welfare, The thing that scares them is a large group of free thinking people gathering together.

The establishment doesnt like that.....

In a nutshell

a reply to: ColaTesla

There are vulnerable people in prison now over this more recent event. Calling out to the crowd to defend the generators might seem like a good idea at the time, but it isn't good for the lads who are locked up.