US Clubbers Busted For Dancing

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international news _ Jonty Skrufff _ 4th April 2005

US Clubbers Busted For Dancing

Over a hundred innocent music fans were charged with serious drugs offences last weekend in Michigan, America, after cops discovered drugs on a number of revellers in Flint nightspot What's Next and charged all the other patrons inside the club with 'frequenting a drug establishment'.

Officers from the Flint Area Narcotics Group and the Genesee County Sheriff's Posse conducted intimate full cavity searches on women inside the club during the heavy handed raid and subsequently charged 17 revellers with even more serious felony drugs charges.

Civil liberties group the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) branded the bust an 'abuse of power' and urged clubbers to protest.

"In Flint, Michigan (and many other cities) if you go out dancing on a Saturday night and the police happen to arrest other people at the club for drugs, you could be charged with a drug crime even though you had nothing to do with drugs," the DPA warned this week.

"These innocent party-goers now face up to 90 days in jail and a $500 fine. They also face a criminal record with all the legal and social barriers that brings," they warned.

DPA director Bill Piper further challenged the raid's legitimacy in an interview with Drug Sense Weekly, pointing out 'it's un-American to punish people for the crimes of others.'

"Imagine you're having a beer at your favourite bar and the police come in and arrest you and everyone else in the bar because unknown to you someone is using drugs in the bathroom," Mr Piper added, " It's outrageous." (Jonty Skrufff/Skrufff.com)