Near Pokrov in Russia’s Vladimir region, police officers together with representatives of the nationalist movement “Russian Community” raided the Sliyanie electronic music festival. Several people were detained, and the event itself was temporarily suspended. The outlets Dovod and Ostorozhno, Novosti reported this.
The festival is taking place from July 9 to July 12 in a pine forest near Pokrov. On the night of July 11, attendees began warning one another that traffic police officers were stationed at the entrance to the forest. Later, police and members of the “Russian Community” arrived at the site and began checking festivalgoers.
According to the reports, the accusations against visitors were that they were allegedly “too loud and burn too much gasoline, teasing people amid a fuel shortage”. Festival attendees were also checked for drugs.
According to Dovod, several people were detained in total. Ostorozhno, Novosti added that among them was a local resident who arrived at the festival drunk and carrying a shotgun. The outlet said he threatened a family after being refused alcohol.
Because of the raid, the festival had to be paused temporarily. Organizers later said the event would continue “in a more intimate format”. They also stated that the sound level at the venue had been reduced “to a comfortable and safe level”.