Mossos Seal Off Illegal Rave of About 300 People in Woods Near Llers
About 300 people set up an illegal rave in woodland near Llers in Girona on Nov. 14. Mossos blocked access and are checking everyone who leaves.
About 300 people set up an illegal rave in a wooded area outside Llers, a village in the Alt Empordà district of Girona province, on the morning of Saturday, Nov. 14, according to the Catalan news site El Caso. Residents woke up to loud music and dozens of outsiders partying near the village.
The Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalonia’s police) have closed the roads into the area so no more people can join. Anyone leaving the site is being searched and will not be allowed back in.
How police are handling the Llers rave
Officers from the Mossos’ Seguretat Ciutadana (public safety) units and the ARRO, the force’s regional public order teams, were sent to the woods once the party took shape. El Caso reports that they blocked every access point to the site.
The party is deep in the forest, some distance from the village, though the music still carries to nearby homes. Partygoers left about a hundred vehicles along the Mas Molar track.
Police are stopping people as they exit the cordoned area. Officers are checking whether they carry illegal drugs or knives, and anyone found with them will be reported. Drivers who want to leave by car face alcohol and drug tests before they are allowed back on the road, so that nobody drives while impaired.
What the town hall says
The Ajuntament de Llers (the town council) said it activated its coordination protocols with emergency services and the relevant authorities as soon as the rave was detected. Its stated aim now is to limit the effects and possible consequences of the event as far as it can.
Council officials admitted their room to act is limited. They described the situation as “complex” and said that, even with the resources deployed, the effects are hard to prevent. The council did not say how long it expects the party to last.
What it means for people in the area
For Llers residents, the immediate effects are noise from the woods, police roadblocks on the approach roads and a large number of cars parked along the Mas Molar track. Drivers on local roads should expect checkpoints while the operation continues.
The council has also asked residents to call 112, the emergency number, whenever they see signs that an illegal party may be getting organized, even if they are not certain what is going on. Early warning, the council said, lets authorities act before people settle in and clear the site at that stage.
Why raves are hard to stop once they start
The council’s own account explains the difficulty: once hundreds of people and their vehicles are already in a remote forest, emergency services can contain the event, control who comes and goes and check drivers, but they have few practical ways to end it quickly. That is why the town hall is focusing on prevention and asking neighbors to report suspicious activity as early as possible.
The police operation around the site was still under way on Saturday, with no one being let back into the area.
Source: El Caso
