Police in the United Kingdom are seeking the public’s help in identifying an unlikely group of people—ravers. The revelers attended an illegal Halloween rave near Bristol with about 700 people. It turned ugly when some attendees acted violently towards officers telling them to leave. Law enforcement officials have now released 52 images of 38 people that detectives are on the lookout for.
The rave at an unused warehouse in Yate transpired on October 31 and into the next day. Ravers at the Stover Trading Estate apparently threw bottles and other items at Avon and Somerset Police officers.
“We’ve made efforts within Avon and Somerset and other forces to try to establish who these people are in the hope we wouldn’t need to release these images into the public domain,” said detective superintendent Lisa Simpson, according to BBC. “However, despite this we still don’t know who a number of people we want to talk to are, which is why we’re now releasing images of them in the hope the public can help.”
Arriving officers found several hundred people and numerous vehicles at the venue. England has banned gatherings of more than 30 people amid the coronavirus pandemic. Police found themselves “dealing with an intolerable hostile situation and deserve credit for the courageous and professional manner in which they handled it,” Simpson said. She added that the ”aggressive and dangerous antics of those attacking police is inexcusable and unacceptable.”
Arrests and Fines
Two organizers were fined fined £10,000 and 12 people have already been arrested, according to the Gazette Series. Still images of the ravers were captured using body-worn cameras. Simpson said the investigation is ongoing “to ensure those who committed offenses are appropriately dealt with.” Police are still looking at offenses including assaults on emergency workers. “We have made several arrests but there are still many people we wish to identify as part of our ongoing enquiries,” Simpson said.
The UK has been the site of various illegal raves during the pandemic. One unlicensed event took place in the small village of Banwen. There, a couple filled water bottles for partygoers out of the kindness of their hearts.