COUNCIL VOTES TO SUSPEND RAVES

Urging move, chief cites heavy drug use

At the prodding of Toronto police Chief Julian Fantino and Mayor Mel
Lastman, city councillors have voted to suspend allowing raves to be
held on city property.

Six months after city council adopted guidelines to ensure raves held
in city-owned buildings were safe and properly policed, Lastman told
council yesterday he was wrong to support the policy.

"I was one of the people who said, if we can put these (raves) under a
controlled atmosphere maybe they'll be safe - and I said, 'Let's give
it a try.' Let me tell you, it's not working."

Lastman said his main concern is use of drugs, especially ecstasy, by
young people attending the events.

"This is not the Toronto I want, this is not the Toronto I want to be
part of and these are not the things we want to see happen," Lastman
said. "When people take this ecstasy . . . they go nuts and you cannot
control them, and the cops cannot control them."

He was unavailable for comment after last night's nearly five-hour
debate, capped by a 32-18 vote to suspend raves for an undetermined
period.

But some councillors and rave enthusiasts denounced the motion, saying
it increases the danger to young people.

"That's what the mayor's done - he's driven (ravers) into some
basement in an industrial area. I think he's got blood on his hands,
frankly. It's a stupid motion," said an emotional Councillor Ila
Bossons (Midtown).

Bossons noted that Allan Ho, the subject of an inquest that began this
week, died last October while attending an underground rave.

"We could have supervised them (young people) on our own properties,"
Bossons said. "They're now going to die in some totally unsupervised
mass scene out in an industrial building. I think it's a disgraceful
decision."

Alex D, publisher of Tribe Magazine - which covers the rave scene -
agreed.

"I think Mel is irresponsible, and he's just made the first step to
driving the whole rave scene underground, where it'll be way more
difficult to manage, to contain, to police and . . . much more
dangerous for young people. It's totally irresponsible."

The motion called on Fantino to report in August on ways to limit
drugs at raves and use of paid duty officers to police them.

Councillor Jack Layton (Don River) said council should have had more
information.

"There are no raves planned for city facilities for another six
months, so why not get this all researched? It'll just drive the rave
movement underground and create more death."

At Lastman's request, Fantino addressed council regarding three raves
held this year at Exhibition Place, particularly an April 22 event
that brought 24 arrests. He estimated that 80 per cent of rave
attendees are using drugs and about 25 per cent are 16 or younger.

"There were a number of episodes where we witnessed young people
rolling around on the floor, basically squirming around in their own
vomit," he said.

Councillor Joe Pantalone (Trinity Niagara), chair of Exhibition Place,
had previously supported holding raves on the site but seconded
Lastman's motion yesterday.

"I see this as an opportunity for us to try to understand the drug
scene, the rave scene, the nightclub scene and see whether we, as a
society, should be doing something else," Pantalone said. "Mind you, I
have not seen anything yet which has convinced me that we should
(permanently) ban raves at this time."

Councillor Olivia Chow (Downtown) urged councillors not to overreact.
She said raves are largely peaceful.

"We have never gotten knives and guns in our entire history. That's
just not the scene. We need to have the intelligence to tell the
difference between raves and after-hours clubs that have alcohol, guns
and knives."

Will Chang, of the Toronto Dance Safety Committee - which devised the
rave guidelines last December - accused Fantino of being "out of the
loop" on rave culture.

"It's all being pushed by the chief," Chang said. "The mayor has
admitted he's working entirely on the chief's recommendation."