'Help Save New York City Nightlife' Campaign Kicks Off

Campaigners against American authorities' war on clubs met this week in Manhattan to mobilise industry support. ACLU (civil liberties) expert Graham Boyd and EMDEF spokesman Will Patterson attended the meeting, which followed the recent closure of Twilo as well as further threats against the city's remaining nightclubs.

Deputy Mayor of New York Rudy Washington, one of the chief architects behind the new prohibition, recently described the city's nightclubs as 'little buckets of blood' and boasted of 'paralyzing' them for the last three years, while even Hillary Clinton (wife of Ex president Bill) became involved this week. "The explosion of club drugs has reached epidemic proportions around the country," she told the New York Times, explaining her involvement in a new bill intended to raise money for drug educational campaigns.

EMDEF spokesperson Will Patterson warned last week that authorities are unlikely to stop at dance clubs. "If they succeed with electronic music, then hip hop and rock concert promoters will have something to worry about," he told the Village Voice. The venerable listings title was equally concerned.

"Twilo's closure signifies the end of New York as the clubbing capital of the world. New York's nightlife gave birth to countless fashion, musical and cultural trends via places like Studio 54 and Danceteria, which existed in a golden era predating task forces and quality-of-life campaigners" they recalled. "Even Madonna, who was a dancer at Danceteria, is a product of the New York scene."

The new campaign to save Manhattan's nightlife is aiming to focus on the individual politicians involved including Deputy Mayor Washington and his even more extremist boss Rudolph Giuliani.

"We've all been discussing ways in which the nightlife community can respond
to the Giuliani administration's war on nightlife," a spokesperson for the campaign revealed. "So now we're asking that nightclub owners, nightclub staff, promoters, DJs, publicists, clubbers and anyone interested in safeguarding New York's credibility as a nightlife and music destination, come together and preserve what's left of New York nightlife. One of the goals is to give voice to the nightlife community and put all mayoral candidates on notice that we will not sit idly by while the government takes away our rights to meet, dance, and listen to the music of our choice. We hope to help elect a nightlife-friendly mayor."
Skrufff.com:
Click here to register for Jonty Adderley's new e-zine Skrufff-E.
http://www.skrufff.com
Tags

• USA Clubs