Secret Rave Got Hundreds to Come Out and Party Under a Bridge in Brooklyn
Written by SOURCE on August 4, 2020
Paying no heed to COVID-19, an illicit rave reportedly took place on Saturday night under Brooklyn’s Kosciuszko Bridge. This gathering is said to have drawn hundreds, and comes at a time in which bars and clubs remain closed in NYC due to the pandemic.
Videos circulating on social media claiming to show the rave captured some in attendance wearing masks (an organizer estimated that 70 to 80 percent in attendance did this), but there wasn’t any social distancing…which you probably gathered when we wrote “rave” in the headline/first sentence.
Gothamist writes that the party began this past Saturday night, and was busted up around 4 a.m. on Sunday. It took place at a park below the bridge, and featured sets from Pictureplane and DJ Mazurbate.
Consider those inadvertent plugs.
The event was similar to one hosted at the same location on July 4 that was billed as “a Black Lives Matter party.” It’s unclear what a party’s theme would even have to do with—you know what, whatever, this isn’t a think piece. The website Guest of a Guest writes that this most recent gathering appears to have been billed as a protest, but that Pictureplane also referred to it as a “rave” in a tweet he then deleted.
Guest of a Guest also reached out to one of the event’s organizer, with that organizer saying it wasn’t intended to be a “protest,” but was actually a fundraiser for the Legal Aid Society. An anonymous organizer (possibly the same one who spoke to Guest of a Guest) also defended the rave to Gothamist, but conceded more precautions could’ve taken place and that things did get out of hand.
“If you think people aren’t going to gather, you’re a fool—there’s no stopping that,” he said. “The event got out of control because people wanted to come, people wanted to be out. People have been cooped up for so long. The pressure is building, and people need a release. It’s already happening. We can do it more safely, or we can pretend it isn’t happening.”
He continued to justify things from there.
“My friends are being forced to go back to work with thousands of employees,” that person added. “New York is back open. Stores are open, the subway is open, the parks are open, people are trying to go back to normal. Look at the beaches, look at the playgrounds. Riis Beach is packed, the parks are full of people hanging out, remembering they’re alive. At least we’re telling people to wear a mask.”
He added he’s unsure if he’ll throw any more of these types of events.
Last week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called out a Chainsmokers concert that took place in the Hamptons. On Monday Cuomo addressed this most recent bash, in addition to a(nother) illegal gathering on a river boat, saying, “It’s disrespectful. It’s illegal … It violates common decency. Look at all the people you endangered. What if one of the people gets sick and dies? … We need better enforcement all across the state.”
