Police Accused of Using 'Unethical' Force at Rave
Police officers involved in shutting down an illegal rave at a scenic location near East Lulworth have been accused of employing "unethical" force, according to a party attendee who spoke to the BBC.
Dorset Police reported that they arrested 11 individuals at the event, which attracted approximately 2,000 attendees before being dispersed on Sunday evening.
Zak Hanman, an attendee from Swindon, described the gathering as "very peaceful" and claimed that police began "attacking" people "when no violence was presented towards them."
In response to these allegations, Dorset Police stated that they took "appropriate and proportionate action" to ensure the rave was brought to a "safe conclusion."
Hanman, who stated he was sober throughout the event and does not consume alcohol or drugs, challenged the police's characterization of the incident.
"Everyone was just enjoying themselves, but the police... started dragging people to the floor, hitting them, attacking them when no violence was presented towards them,"
"The violence they used was unethical, it was unhuman-like and it was just not needed."
While Hanman acknowledged witnessing some violence directed at police officers by partygoers, he asserted that this only occurred as a reaction to the initial aggressive actions by the police.
"Towards the end, yes, people were throwing stuff at them [the police], but that was not until they were hitting people, attacking people,"
He cited a specific incident where he observed officers striking a man with a baton while the individual was already on the ground.
"Yes, people were taking drugs, yes, people were drunk, but that doesn't mean beat them up,"
"Any human in their right mind can see that it was just not called for."
Police Response to Allegations
Addressing Hanman's statements, Dorset Police issued a statement saying:
"This event caused significant disruption to local communities and we took appropriate and proportionate action to bring it to safe conclusion.
While responding to the incident involving a large number of people, our officers came under attack from missiles and faced a violent and hostile reception.
Violence in our communities and against our officers will not be tolerated."
The force indicated that the illegal rave was first reported at approximately 23:45 BST on Saturday, with officers working through to Sunday evening to dismantle the event.
They confirmed that officers encountered a violent and hostile environment, including being targeted with thrown objects.
During the operation, police seized equipment and closed nearby roads to control the situation, making arrests for offenses such as driving under the influence and assaulting emergency workers.
The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act grants police the authority to stop vehicles within five miles (8 km) of a rave and redirect them. It also contains provisions addressing gatherings of more than 20 people listening to music at night.
