Police Defend 'Proportionate' Force at Illegal Easter Rave as Violence Erupts
Riot police were called to a firing range field near a British Army base in East Lulworth, Dorset, late on Saturday night, where approximately 2,000 people had gathered for the annual illegal Easter rave known as EggTek. The event, which featured massive sound systems blasting trance music loud enough to disturb residents five miles away, prompted a significant police response after reports of anti-social behaviour and noise complaints.
Violent Confrontation and Police Response
Upon arrival at 11:45 pm, officers in riot gear were met with a hostile crowd that threw plastic bottles and cans at them. Footage circulated on social media shows riot police repeatedly striking one reveller with a baton, while other clips depict a man and a woman with bloodied faces, allegedly injured by police actions. Earlier videos captured ravers pushing against a wall of riot shields as a police helicopter monitored the scene from above.
David Sidwick, the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner, strongly defended the officers' conduct, stating they used proportionate force after coming under "intense assault" from the crowd. He emphasised that the event was an illegal gathering with no safety measures, causing immense disruption to the local community. Sidwick reported that residents were devastated by the noise and incidents of defecation in driveways, alongside widespread drug use and anti-social behaviour.
Conflicting Accounts from Attendees
Despite police assertions, some attendees contested the official narrative. Zak Hanman, a reveller from Swindon, Wiltshire, told the BBC that the event had been "very peaceful" until police intervention. He claimed officers began dragging people to the ground and hitting them without provocation, describing the violence as "unethical" and "unhuman-like." Hanman admitted that partygoers eventually threw objects at police, but only after officers initiated physical confrontations.
Other social media clips showed attendees inhaling 'hippy crack' from balloons and dancing to loud music, with some stumbling around intoxicated. However, police maintained that their actions were necessary to disperse a violent and hostile crowd that refused to leave the site despite warnings.
Arrests and Aftermath
Eleven individuals were arrested for various offences, with one person charged with assaulting a police officer. Dorset Police released a statement affirming that the event caused significant disruption and that officers faced a violent reception while taking appropriate action to conclude the rave safely. The statement reiterated that violence against officers and within communities would not be tolerated.
The incident has sparked debate over police tactics at large-scale illegal events, with contrasting perspectives on whether the force used was justified or excessive. As reviews of the response are conducted, the clash highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement and underground party culture in rural areas.
