Saturday night was anything but ordinary at the Mecca Bingo hall located on Burnt Oak Broadway on Saturday night as an illegal rave was in progress.
Police arrived at a large crowd of 700 youths – 500 inside the building, 20 on the roof and about 200 outside partaking in what is called a “squat rave”.
It was organized on Snapchat as he Summer Skankout that would have hundreds showing up. The combative crowd began to throw bottles at the officers as police tried to defuse the escalation of tension.
There were reports of overhead police copters with a few ravers climbing atop the roof to avoid them.
David Norman tweeted: "At this rate with the helicopters and the riot police, Burnt Oak might as well be a battlefield."
A Met Police spokesman said: "Borough officers spoke to the event organisers and tried to disperse the crowd, however more people started gathering and managed to get inside the building.
A spokesperson said:
"Bottles were thrown at police from the crowds in the area. No one was reported to have sustained any injuries."
I wasn't until 2:40am that officers were able to clear the building and there are no reports of any arrests being made.
The Mecca Bingo Hall which has been out of operation and left abandoned was once the Savoy Cinema circa 1936. It has some concerned for preserving the period art deco design inside.
Police arrived at a large crowd of 700 youths – 500 inside the building, 20 on the roof and about 200 outside partaking in what is called a “squat rave”.
It was organized on Snapchat as he Summer Skankout that would have hundreds showing up. The combative crowd began to throw bottles at the officers as police tried to defuse the escalation of tension.
There were reports of overhead police copters with a few ravers climbing atop the roof to avoid them.
David Norman tweeted: "At this rate with the helicopters and the riot police, Burnt Oak might as well be a battlefield."
A Met Police spokesman said: "Borough officers spoke to the event organisers and tried to disperse the crowd, however more people started gathering and managed to get inside the building.
A spokesperson said:
"Bottles were thrown at police from the crowds in the area. No one was reported to have sustained any injuries."
I wasn't until 2:40am that officers were able to clear the building and there are no reports of any arrests being made.
The Mecca Bingo Hall which has been out of operation and left abandoned was once the Savoy Cinema circa 1936. It has some concerned for preserving the period art deco design inside.
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