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Paris
"We refuse all arbitrary censorship of our art
and all refusals of our choice of lifestyle."
- pamphlet at Paris pro-rave demonstration
The rave culture in France took to the streets last week to protest
proposed legislation that enthusiasts say threatens the existence
of raves, the popular techno dance music parties that are a mainstay
of youth culture across the globe. Raves are under attack from social
conservatives in part because of allegations of widespread Ecstasy
use at the events.
Joined by jugglers, fire-eaters and dance groups, ravers marched
by the thousands in Paris, Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Marseilles, and
Toulouse last Thursday. In Toulouse, aggressive policing provoked
hours of skirmishes with demonstrators around that city's Capitol
Square.
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According to accounts from Agence France Presse (AFP),
riot police in Toulouse fired tear gas at ravers gathered in the
square to disperse the crowd, then attempted to move in to make
arrests. At least nine police officers were injured in the process,
AFP said, and police reported making "several" arrests.
No figures on injured demonstrators were available. While police
eventually cleared the square, ravers clashed with police in neighboring
side streets long into the night.
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The tussle in Toulouse was the most violent response to a proposed
new public safety law that has outraged ravers, other dance music
aficionados and youth culture advocates. An amendment to that
law would allow the seizure of sound equipment from raves and
fines for organizers who fail to pre-register their events with
local authorities. The bill has already been adopted by French
lower chamber and awaits approval in the Senate.
In a carnival-like atmosphere (except for Toulouse), protestors
marched, danced and shouted chants such as "Tonight we are
going to dance, without police, without Mariani," a reference
to Member of Parliament Thierry Mariani, the author of the anti-rave
amendment.
Calling the amendment "an attack on the freedom of expression,"
one protest organizer in Lille told AFP, "When you go 300
kilometers (180 miles) to have a party, it's not just to get high.
There is a real musical and cultural current behind that."
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The French political establishment is by no means unanimous in
its attack on rave culture and Ecstasy use. Less than a year ago,
Education Minister Jack Lang made waves when he told the newspaper
France-Soire that he was encouraging welfare teams to go to raves
and test drugs for contaminants and adulterants. Lang's remarks
came in the context of a broader statement about dealing with drug
use in France. He told the newspaper France needed a "national
debate" on drugs. "We should put our cards on the table,
working with doctors and educators and not just over cannabis. We
should talk about tobacco and alcohol which are much more destructive
among the young," said Lang. On Ecstasy, which is widely consumed
in the booming night-scene of raves and techno clubs in Paris and
the provinces, Lang said he was encouraging welfare organizations
that were sending teams out to test the quality of the drugs being
sold.
This was too much for the Federation of Pupils' Parents, which
accused Lang of breaching his duty to ensure the moral and civic
education of the young. "A drug is still a drug and none is
without danger," it said.
The opposition UDF party said that Lang appeared to be advocating
legalized ecstasy.
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source : http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/188/frenchravers.shtml
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