Twilo Calls for Help as New York Authorities Shut It Down

New York's best known dance club has been shut down 'until further notice' after city building inspectors raided the Lower Manhattan nightspot last Sunday night (May 6th) after allegedly discovering permit violations. The club's temporary closure follows an escalation of city authorities' attacks against New York's night life that appears to be linked to the wider DEA-led campaign against electronic music. "Law enforcement officials are no longer pursuing just those who sell and take Ecstasy, but the owners of clubs and other places where it is used," The New York Times confirmed in the week before Twilo's closure.

Challenging the move, the club's lawyer Peter R. Sullivan told the Times Twilo would be 'absolutely guaranteed' to re-open and criticised city officials for 'continually demonising' it. The club also launched a campaign on their website (www.twilo.com <http://www.twilo.com>) this week, calling for customers to write and complain to their local newspapers. "Here's how to send letters supporting Twilo to local New York media.," a statement on the site says. "Links to the most recent stories about the club are below. Underneath the links are the email addresses to those same papers. If you want to read the stories, link to them, but don't forget to come back
and email your thoughts. Let our collective voice be heard. Put "I Love Twilo" in the subject line. Then, tell them how friendly, safe and enjoyable this club is to you. Tell them that Twilo is the most prominent nighclub in New York and famous
throughout the world because of the music. Tell them why you, in particular,
love Twilo."

Twilo's closure came as EMDEF, the organisation set up to fight the case of the New Orleans club promoters facing possible 20 year to life jail sentences, issued a fresh appeal for funds, calling for donations from $50 and upwards to assist the trio's legal defence fund. "The DEA believes that promoters and venue managers of electronic music events are responsible for drug sales in the clubs," EMDEF's latest newsletter warns. "They also believe that rather than proving direct involvement they can prosecute people simply because a customer uses a drug." Both Rolling Stone and Spin magazine have also recently covered the case, which could ultimately lead to the destruction of America's entire nightlife and electronic music industries.
<http://www.emdef.org/donate/html>
<http://www.twilo.com>
<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/07/nyregion/07CLUB.html> (NY Times Twilo article)
<http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/29976.htm> (NY Post Twilo article)
New York Times e mail address : letters@nytimes.com
The New York Post e mail address: webmaster@nypost.com
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