Police raid Ricardo Villalobos' Sydney gig.

After excitement brewed in Sydney for months in the lead up to Ricardo Villalobos’ performance at the Metro on December 3rd, punters, artists and co-ordinators of the event had all hopes of a good night squashed as police raided the venue with sniffer dogs around 12.30am. They even went as far as to take the dogs on stage while Ricardo was playing and have them investigate him and the area. Punter reports reveal there were up to 40 cops at one stage who seemed intent on making their presence felt and understood in an aggressive manner. It is not known exactly how many people were charged with possession, and of what drugs, but there were certainly some unfortunate people who have been.

The raid comes at a time in Sydney that sees promoters and venues under threat as the city Mayor Clover Moore crusades for bars and clubs to be more highly regulated with the possibility of a 12am close or lock out being put in place. She seems intent on ruining Sydney’s varied and vibrant nightlife and with incidents such as this, it seems the police are on her side.

It is not rare for electronic parties in Sydney to be targeted by police and further regulations on venues across the city will make it even harder for owners and promoters to have successful businesses and events, and this threat extends far beyond dance parties. It has been reported that 30 venues within the Kings Cross and City region have already been sent warning letters about proposed changes to closing times and this incident further proves that Sydney’s nightlife is well and truly under threat.

To read more about City of Sydney Late Night Trading Premises Development Control Plan 2007 – Draft Amendment No. 1, visit here.

Source

Now he's going to put an embargo on Australia too!