Pubdate: Fri, 14 Jul 2000
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2000 The Toronto Star
Contact:  One Yonge St., Toronto ON, M5E 1E6
Fax: (416) 869-4322
Website: http://www.thestar.com/
Forum: http://www.thestar.com/editorial/disc_board/
Author: Paul Moloney, City Hall Bureau

RAVERS TO GIVE CITY DEMO

Dance Rally At Nathan Phillips Square Could Attract 10,000  

Toronto city councillors who say they don't understand rave culture
are about to get a demonstration.

On Aug. 1, during city council's next scheduled meeting, up to 10,000
rave-goers will rally to the rhythms of 11 deejays in Nathan Phillips
Square.

The watchwords for the Dance Rally are: No drugs, thugs or attitude.

The rally calls on ravers to show city councillors their parties aren't 
menacing and don't deserve to be demonized.  

"It's a good community, it's very peaceful and those are the things
we're trying to get across," said Tracy Ford of the Party People
Project, a group of party-goers, deejays and promoters trying to
improve the culture's public image. It's sponsoring the five-hour-long
free event along with the Toronto Dance Safety Committee.

City council banned raves on city property in May, shocked that an
event at Exhibition Place produced 24 drug arrests despite the
presence of 54 police officers and 97 security guards watching over
8,100 revellers.

A ban was advocated by police Chief Julian Fantino who said 80 per
cent of people there were using drugs.

That claim was challenged yesterday by Kim Stanford, a registered
nurse and co-founder of the Toronto Raver Info Project who distributes
drug, sex and health information at raves.

Stanford said a recent report from the Centre for Addiction and Mental
Health found about 25 per cent of Ontario students have attended raves
and about 4 per cent of them have used ecstasy, the drug of choice at
raves.

Stanford was speaking to council's community services committee, which
yesterday voted to recommend that council lift the ban.

The committee was swayed by the inquest jury in the ecstasy-related
death of Ryerson student Allen Ho, 21. In its June 1 verdict, the jury
recommended city-owned properties be made available for raves.

"The effect of prohibiting legal raves will create an underground where 
raves happen in unsafe venues without services such as Toronto 
ambulance, licensed security and police supervision," Stanford said.  

Councillor Michael Walker (North Toronto) said council was misguided in 
banning raves in tightly controlled city-owned venues because the move 
won't stamp out the events. "You didn't destroy the Beatles, you didn't 
destroy Elvis Presley and you're not going to destroy this," he said.  

Councillor Olivia Chow (Downtown) said Exhibition Place had not had
any serious incidents in 13 events held since March, 1998.

She said the Nathan Phillips Square event has received official
permission whether or not the ban is lifted because it's slated for 5
p.m. to 10 p.m. and doesn't meet the after-hours definition of a rave.

But in other respects it fits the bill, she said, adding it has her 
full support.  

"I think it's important for young people to say, 'We're here, please
listen to us and work with us.' When council members come face to face
with the young people, they will feel they can trust them."
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MAP posted-by: John Chase