Hundreds of Sydneysiders have taken to the streets in yet another demonstration against the city’s controversial lockout laws.
A horde of sign-wielding punters hit the pavement in Newtown on Saturday to take part in a mobile music festival that wound its way down King Street.
“If they shut down our dance floors, we’ll dance on the streets,” co-organiser Chris Lego told Fairfax at the rally, the first Reclaim The Streets demonstration since September.
“We don’t believe we should be collectively punished for the brutal stupidity of one or two people. There’s been an over-policing of fun, spontaneity and creativity in Sydney. It’s not good enough.”
It comes as yet another Sydney venue shuts its doors.
Potts Point wine bar Jimmy Liks has posted a sign in its front window to break the news to punters. It reads:
“Jimmy Liks is closed (for now). Thank you Sydney for an amazing 14 year journey. NSW lockout laws cost good people their jobs and have decimated a once great and vibrant suburb!”
The venue has also left a recorded voicemail on its answering machine, apologising to punters for the sudden closure, and suggesting that the venue hopes to regroup and re-open its doors sometime in the New Year.
Fingers crossed.
Of course, countless other venues which have bitten the dust since the introduction of the lockouts won’t be so lucky, such as this one, this one, this one, this one and oh yeah this one.
Since their hasty and reactive introduction last year, everyone from patrons and venue staff, to media, musicians, international celebrities, Australian politicians and US President Barack Obama (sort of) have slammed the state government’s lockouts for appeasing the majority of nanny statists who believe that decent god-fearing citizens should be in bed by sundown, while simultaneously wiping out countless venues, businesses and jobs, causing a rise in pedestrian accidents in the CBD and effectively turning Kings Cross into a zombie ghost town while pushing the violence into neighbouring suburbs.
The widely-loathed laws are up for review in February, but apparently the top industry figures reckon there’s buckleys of them being wiped out altogether. Instead, they’re hoping to win exemptions for certain live music venues that have no history of alcohol-fuelled violence.
16 venues inside Sydney’s lockout zone have already been granted exemptions, but basically only for punters who want to play the pokies.
Commentators from Reclaim The Streets have argued that, rather than punishing venues and patrons with harsh lockouts, the government should – i dunno – spend more money on brightening up the streets, investing in a more vibrant nightlife and improving public transportation options (which, let’s face it, right now suck big fat donkey nuts).
https://twitter.com/Weeabooyah/status/675563735637864448
Posted by KIROS on Monday, September 14, 2015
The common issue is that the State Government is more interested in looking after lobby groups that have given them... Posted by Reclaim The Streets Sydney on Wednesday, December 9, 2015
