Photo via Reclaim The Steets Facebook

Reclaim The Streets Festival Returns This Weekend To Protest Lockouts & The Star Casino’s “Free Pass”

Reclaim The Streets festival is a global protest movement that started in the UK in the 90s. The festival is set to return to Sydney this weekend, in the latest of a string of rallys protesting the varying issues surrounding Sydney’s hugely controversial lockout laws.

In what will be the third edition of the event since September last year, this weekend will see protesters turn their attention to Sydney’s infamous casino The Star, where protestors will call for an end to political donations from the casino and gambling industries.

The Star, along with James Packer’s soon-to-be-built Barangaroo Casino are famously exempt from the lockout laws, and, according to Reclaim The Streets organisers, between 1998 and 2011 The Star made over $847,950 worth of political donations in Australia.

If that sounds like a lot, consider too that since 1998 over $5 million was donated by the gambling industry as a whole in Australia, as well as over $66 million by property developers.

These disproportionate donations, along with the casino’s special drinking exemptions have led to NSW Premier Mike Baird becoming better know as ‘Casino Mike’. #CasinoMike will very much be in the cross hairs again this weekend, and this Saturday will see an expected turnout of over 10, 000 protesters march from Town Hall down to one of Sydney’s most violent venues to call for an end to lockouts and political parties lining their pockets with gambled money.

A spokesperson for Reclaim The Streets has made the purpose of the event clear as glass in a statement which said: “These casinos have bought their way into a free pass, while at the same time funneling all of the late night trade into their highly lucrative gambling halls. We are marching to the casino to highlight the gross hypocrisy of the government and the craven interests of The Star and Crown Casino.”

“We demand both parties refuse donations from casinos and casino-linked entities and refund all money taken in the past.

“This nepotistic Government doesn’t have a clue about the culture of a modern global city. These laws have had a massive impact on local musicians and producers. We demand our city back from these suited idiots.

“You can’t even call Sydney a concrete jungle anymore because Jungles have life in them. Now it’s just a concrete slab, no one wants to live on a slab.”

Reclaim The Streets will also feature more than 100 artists across 20 stages, in efforts both to expand the size and reach of the march, but also as a pretty clear-cut objection to the impact that the lockout laws have had on local musicians and producers.

See the preliminary lineup for the protest festival by stage below, with more still to be announced.

Watch Reclaim The Streets September 2015 Protest Video

Reclaim The Streets – Saturday 19th, March 2016

Begins at Town Hall at 3pm.

Reclaim The Streets 2016 Preliminary Lineup By Stage

United Breakneck Fortress:

8 Diagram

Boot vs Sook

Fuj vs Dauntless

Sakura

Bassriot

Heartless

Daschwood

Bruxism

Commit

Ang Leon

Inner West Reggae Disco Machine:

with guests Roots Odyssey

Afrobrasiliana:

El Chino

Groovescooter

Astronafrica

Tom Studdy

Jön McCulloch

Walking Fish

Rabbit Prawn Kollective:

Roleo

LouLou

Forkstab

DJ Chemspew

Funnel-Web Debate

Descender

Bass House Movement:

Friktion

Sass

PropagandA

Bank Wobber

Kara

Wierd:

Silly Psybin

Pswill

Xyz

PRANDARMA

Pickles

Soma Ras

Finespun:

Lupr

Dj Bruv B2B Lab 5

Wompa B2B 9Toe

Adrian E

Ben England

Bluebeard

Ma Lo

Grounded:

Anomie

Deep Cycle

Migz

BFG

Moonstompa

Bizarre Haberdashery:

Hosted by: not so mc aka angry t

Sam-e

Olluss

Katia Avorodis

Trolley Dog

Deeper Than House:

Ludovic

Alec Bonnici

Ellie D

TK

Glossima

Sydney Hardcore Network:

Jawcep

Showboat

Napoleon

Ripened Records:

Mugli

Marra Warra

S.kape

Nonne

Lord St Collective

Perto

Bly DJ

Jozef Connor

Oh Boy

Sudek DJ

Rivet/Big Ting:

Ohmage

Monako

N-Va

Bloom

Serendipity

Stoney Roads:

eatingfoodbrb

Piecey

Human Movement

Mickey Kojack

Buzz:

Mr. Ties (Homopatik, Berlin)

Alba (Live)

Dave Kettle

Sleeper

Moose & Andy Mcqueen

Stereogamous

Vibe Positive X Pelvis:

Pelvis

Nite Fleit

Andy Garvey

Valerie Yum

Vibe Positive

SYDDEFJAM:

Nofussrus

Coolhand Luke

Dj Satva

Dj Adverse

Dj Amity

Kate Doherty

MK1

MC’s

P Smurf Dj Cos

Mighty Ash

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