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Cool article - Cherry Beach parties (Shift mentioned)

These Cops All The Rave
By ALBERT NERENBERG

I'm sorry to even mention it in print, but until last week when the season ended, there was a wonderful place where people could dance all night in the forest right under the Toronto skyline. I'm talking about the warm-weather happenings at a semi-secret glade near a treed part of Cherry Beach. On any given night on our abandoned waterfront, there were several dances going at the same time, some with massive projection screens and lighting effects and the cops drive by and smile.

To understand how miraculous this actually was, click onto the widely circulated video of a horrendous bust of a rave on private property in a scenic Utah canyon just weeks ago. (Google "Utah" and "bust.")

Although there have been a few crackdowns over the years, our party scene, according to veterans, has gradually stabilized. And the beach dances have flourished. The stunning enclosure of sumac, majestic old trees and giant rusting oil towers seems to keep the sound in, so dancers can carry on all night under the stars without being too much of a nuisance. Sometimes it's just one guy with a small boom box, but often it's much larger. DJs bring generators to power a growing range of events: reggae, house, black light, jungle and various kinds of electronica.

Participants quickly clue in to the "respect" ethos. People clean up after themselves, altercations are rare, and on a beautiful day the place is simply idyllic, with kids and dogs playing everywhere. Some blow bubbles, others lie on blankets to listen to the music by the lake and the police glide gently by.

Yes, there are probably some substances being consumed, but the weirdest behaviour I've seen was some bad dancing and clumps of people lying on top of each other laughing.

As a contrast to this joyful fun-fest, take a look at the Utah video, nicknamed Iraq In Utah, featuring a police commando raid.

Because Utah is a conservative state, the organizers took extra care to make sure all permits were in order, hiring security, trucking in toilets and even having emergency medical personnel on hand, not to mention a $2 million insurance policy.

The first thing you see is DJs milling around the turntables. The DJs then look up as they're lit by a high-powered helicopter searchlight shining directly at them.

For a second, they look amazed, as if they're thinking, "Hey, this party is even wilder than I thought!"

A soldier in elaborate combat gear walks into frame, and then others. They're SWAT team officers with various state police agencies, wearing flak jackets and goggles and toting massive assault rifles. One of them shouts at the bewildered DJ to cut the sound or "I'll take your ass straight to jail," then shuts down the sound system.

Armed groups of men wrestle with shadowy forms. There's pandemonium as people run in every direction and helicopter searchlights pan the crowd. Over 60 arrests are made, and eyewitness reports say partiers were traumatized by the over-the-top violence of the raid. The police would later portray the event as a giant pot and ecstasy extravanza.

Compare this to the crackdown I witnessed, also in August. Picture the scene. At the beach, two parties are going on: one, called Shift, playing house music, the other psi-trance. About 150 partiers roam between them.

More partiers arrive. People in white begin to glow under the black lights. The organizers here have no permits, no insurance and no emergency personnel standing by. And they don't have security. They do have a lot of people lying around on the grass smiling.

Suddenly, the DJ dips the music. A cruiser has stopped at the edge of the glade; two officers calmly walk over, met by a couple of the organizers. There are a few anxious looks as police scan the scene: the generator-powered DJ booth, the dancers, a few people lying together on a blanket.

As one of the organizers, Marc Roy, tells me later, "The police exercised excellent judgment. They made sure no one was really drunk, they checked that we knew to clean up and suggested we not raise the volume late at night. We concurred."

Soon the fuzz get back in their cruiser. As the DJ raises the volume of the music, the officers sound their siren to the beat. It's an amazing gesture. The crowd roars.

If the police only knew of the wave of goodwill directed at them at that moment. Forgive my dime-store psychologizing, but people want to be given a chance to love the police or at least respect them, and will do so in an instant when they see them behaving decently, reasonably and especially with humour.

Then there's Utah: party-pooperdom on a mass scale, a gargantuan waste of taxpayers' money, hundreds of young people endangered and traumatized for no good reason, the state made to look like it's run by bullies playing commando.

If Utah's drug hounds were to be deployed anywhere along the lake Ontario coastline on a sunny summer day, their heads would probably explode.

But, hey, this is another country.

SOURCE

very good read nat

shows how lucky we REALLY are

Re: Cool article - Cherry Beach parties (Shift mentioned)

quote:

Originally posted by tatgirl But, hey, this is another country.

Re: Cool article - Cherry Beach parties (Shift mentioned)

quote:

Originally posted by tatgirl Soon the fuzz get back in their cruiser. As the DJ raises the volume of the music, the officers sound their siren to the beat. It's an amazing gesture. The crowd roars.

definitely one of the coolest things i've ever seen cops do.

sad story

i read all about that and i saw the video its just sad :S thats all i can say. when ppl are getting killed out there these guys rush in and do something like this to ppl that just wanna party

good read

Re: Cool article - Cherry Beach parties (Shift mentioned)

quote:

Originally posted by tatgirl

That was very uplifting and inspiring. I love the atmosphere at the Cherry Beach parties. Had a lot of good times there

Many of you can attest to the fact that I'm in love with this city (despite some little hiccups) and the scene that we have here.

quote:

If the police only knew of the wave of goodwill directed at them at that moment. Forgive my dime-store psychologizing, but people want to be given a chance to love the police or at least respect them, and will do so in an instant when they see them behaving decently, reasonably and especially with humour.

I think that I agree with that.

Well written.

Yup... We have it pretty good here - many of those that bitch incessantly usually have no clue what its like elsewhere

we're definately fortunate here to a degree .. but comparing TO and Utah.. ??

very well done ... I LOVE T. and those weekly cherry beach parties every sunday

Awesome article.

Now I just need to *finally* check out a Cherry beach party this coming summer!


-jem-

Re: Re: Cool article - Cherry Beach parties (Shift mentioned)

quote:

Originally posted by joinT definitely one of the coolest things i've ever seen cops do.

I concur.



Until next summer Cherry Beach!

I've never been to a Cherry Beach Party before .. i feel left out !

quote:

Originally posted by gek0 I've never been to a Cherry Beach Party before .. i feel left out !

me too man, me too.

quote:

Originally posted by Irishaddict I concur. Until next summer Cherry Beach!

BEST. PICTURE. EVER. *heart*

quote:

Originally posted by dEsidEL we're definately fortunate here to a degree .. but comparing TO and Utah.. ??

LOL...its true...

the argument "it could be worse, it could be Utah" doesnt exactly allow me to sleep soundly at night.

And the police only do what the polticians of the day direct them to do. Once the general public and the city (and more importantly the media) find out about these parties you can bet that the results will be much different.

Makes me feel good about the cops for a change!

Excellent article!

quote:

Soon the fuzz get back in their cruiser. As the DJ raises the volume of the music, the officers sound their siren to the beat. It's an amazing gesture. The crowd roars.

The Cherry Beach parties were awesome!

Great article,

I always knew deep down that our TPS guys are a great bunch!!!

I also feel left out- never been to Cherry beach party
will have to change that next summer

Good read...

Ever since I went to party in NYC and realized the seriousness that other places put on drug use, I am paranoid whenever I leave my cushy little bubble called Toronto...

I love Canada!

someone should send this to 55 division to show them that what they did was appreaciated
wait i doubt that even 55 division area...

quote:

Originally posted by Jayx1 LOL...its true... the argument "it could be worse, it could be Utah" doesnt exactly allow me to sleep soundly at night. And the police only do what the polticians of the day direct them to do. Once the general public and the city (and more importantly the media) find out about these parties you can bet that the results will be much different.

i think comparing TO to other cities with a similar size and calibre in N. America would be a bit more appropriate atleast in terms of trying to gauge how our scene compares to others on this continent. Saying that we're better than Utah when it comes to freedom to dance doesn't exactly say a whole lot.

i'm not trying to discount what our police force has done either, but at the same time i think there are a lot of shortcomings here as well as examples of tolerance as noted in this article.

who the hell is marc roy???

it was seth and i that spoke to the cops

great post

I love T.O.'s scene, great people, great atmosphere, and great parties. It's nice to know how lucky we really are.

quote:

Originally posted by El Kay Dee who the hell is marc roy??? it was seth and i that spoke to the cops

I'm Marc Roy you F-ing Douche Bag... Get your facts strait. Yes you were there with me and Michael not Seth speaking with the cops. And if I recall correctly I had to get you to shut up because you were making a fool of yourself and making us all look bad with your complete lack of cool in front of the cops. I also remember asking who in the hell you were at the time to which you replied you were the organizer of this event...Oh yeah that's right I remember you from the organizing meetings we had prior...no, maybe it was when we were setting up...no not then either, was it later when we were cleaning up? no...you weren't there either.

Dude shut the fuck up!! (roll my eyes and flip da bird!!)

quote:

Originally posted by geminied I'm Marc Roy you F-ing Douche Bag... Get your facts strait. Yes you were there with me and Michael not Seth speaking with the cops. And if I recall correctly I had to get you to shut up because you were making a fool of yourself and making us all look bad with your complete lack of cool in front of the cops. I also remember asking who in the hell you were at the time to which you replied you were the organizer of this event...Oh yeah that's right I remember you from the organizing meetings we had prior...no, maybe it was when we were setting up...no not then either, was it later when we were cleaning up? no...you weren't there either. Dude shut the fuck up!! (roll my eyes and flip da bird!!)

LKD just got his fuckin milk tray flipped over in the cafeteria


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