RAVE PROMOTER TRIED TO MEET CITY'S RULES

Allen Ho Inquest

The promoter who organized the rave where Allen Ho collapsed has been trying
to adhere to the city's safe rave protocol in recent months, but an inquest
heard yesterday that police have not kept their side of the bargain.

Chris Samojlenko, owner of Hullabaloo Productions, described efforts he has
made to comply with the guidelines -- passed unanimously by the city in
December -- such as throwing parties only in legal venues, hiring an
ambulance in addition to private paramedics and donating to a drug education
project. On one occasion, he paid $7,000 for a water concession from a venue
owner so ravers would have access to running water.

He said other promoters have been following the protocol, which covers
zoning and building codes, crowd limits, ventilation requirements and the
presence of security, paramedics and paid duty officers.

But Mr. Samojlenko told the coroner's jury that when he tried to arrange
off-duty or "paid duty" officers in accordance with the protocol for an
April 15 event, police suddenly told him he needed triple the expected
number.

Several days before the event, he went to 51 Division along with staff from
The Docks nightclub to arrange for officers. There, they found not just the
local unit commander, but also other officers including Superintendent Ron
Taverner, head of Chief Julian Fantino's Operation Strike Force, which has
been targeting raves and nightclubs.

Mr. Samojlenko had hired five or six paid duty officers in February for a
nearly identical party at the same venue, but was told at this meeting that
he needed 15, about triple the number specified under the protocol.

Police said they wanted to have enough officers to shut the party down if
necessary, but Mr. Samojlenko was also told that any drug infractions would
be used against the club's liquor licence, and that if there were any
illegal activities at the party, he would be arrested.

"They didn't recognize the guidelines themselves, they were just insistent
on making their own policies," Mr. Samojlenko told the jury. He said he
cancelled the party because he could not afford the bill for the officers.

The protocol was created after two months of negotiations involving the
Toronto Dance Safety Committee, which represents the local rave scene,
public health staff, city officials and a detective in charge of one of the
force's key drug sections.

Mr. Ho, a 20-year-old Ryerson student, collapsed at a rave at a west-end
underground parking garage last Oct. 10 and died 15 hours later.