This past weekend, ravers in the Somerset area gathered for a once in a lifetime party. At 3:00 am, the group of 3,000 set up stages, sound systems, and lights for the ultimate experience. The free event named “The Return of Scumerset”, took place at an abandoned RAF airfield, away from neighbors that would likely try to shut it down. It’s reported that many attendees walked for over 30 minutes to get into the event due to a police car blocking the entrance to the airbase.
“It became impossible for us to do anything… because of the safety of those partygoers, many of whom were drunk, many of whom were on drugs, and the safety of the officers attending.”
In all, the event was put together by 15 party crews who had the skills and equipment. The crews had pretty much zero work due to COVID-19, so this event was a short return to normalcy. With everyone together, nothing could stop the music, not even the police. As the event grew in size, police realized their roadblock had failed and people had found another way in. It is even reported that people in Bristol, 8 miles away, could hear the bass from the rave!
Specialized Police
At around 11 pm Saturday night, specialized police units attempted to shut down the rave but were unsuccessful. Outnumbered, police would work for several hours to fully shut down the event. It wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that everything was under control. Avon and Somerset police Ch Supt Ian Wylie explain how it was unsafe to take immediate action since many ravers were under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Eventually, people dispersed and police were able to seize equipment and vehicles on the site.
While there are no reports of anyone hurt, police are opening an investigation into the event organizers. At the end of the day, the event was illegal and didn’t have permission to go on.
You can read more into “The Return of Scumerset” here.
