Police bust music rave at Poplar packed with 1,000 people and 3 other east London events
1,000 ravers caught in Saturday night illegal gathering in Poplar. Picture: Met Police - Credit: MPS
Police busted an illegal rave in Poplar packed with 1,000 people breaching Covid emergency regulations, one of four Saturday night crowd gatherings in east London.
They raided the unlicensed music event at a venue in Naval Row, near the Blackwall Tunnel, when seven people were arrested under the coronavirus regulations and held in custody.
A large amount of equipment and sound systems were seized at 11.30pm on October 31, Scotland Yard has confirmed. Those arrested could each face £10,000 fixed penalty fines.
Officers also raided an unlicesed event at Roseberry Place, near London Fields, where 200 people were gathered who were dispersed and equipment was seized.
Other raids on illegal gatherings by the Met’s Central Public Order command that night were at Rothbury Road in Hackney Wick and at Marshgate Lane in Stratford.
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Police have fired a warning shot at those organising illegal gatherings.
We’ll take action and impose the maximum sanctions,” Met Commander Ade Adelekan said. “Unlicensed music events brazenly disregard the current Covid-19 restrictions.
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“The public has had to make sacrifices during this time, so we won’t let those who think they’re above the law get away with this selfish behaviour.
“We are still in a pandemic and it’s extremely selfish of a minority to carry on without regard for the regulations.”
Scotland Yard was responding to tip-offs from the public reporting breaches as well as being on patrol looking for gatherings and shutting them down to disburse the crowds.
The raids in east London were among 11 carried out by the Met on Saturday night. Six were in south London at the Apollo business centre in New Cross, railway arches in Bermondsey, Ruskin Park in Camberwell and the Southbank at Waterloo.
Two other raids were at Hampstead in north London and at Acton Cemetery in west London.
Police were even called to a christening in Tottenham where one person was reported for a £10,000 fixed penalty notice.