Police monitor illegal rave in woods with 700 people from all over Europe

Catalan police, the Mossos d'Esquadra, are monitoring an illegal rave taking place in the woods near the town of Sarral, 80km west of Barcelona. 

As of Sunday morning, police estimate there are around 600 to 700 people at the party, which started on Friday. 

The Mossos d'Esquadra set up two checkpoints on Saturday to limit access to the area where people were gathering and the local council also blocked some roads, although many attendees were still able to travel via alternative routes. 

Two people were arrested on Saturday, one for attacking police officers and the other for serious disobedience and a crime against road safety.  

In addition, police have accused five people of testing positive for drugs and six people of not having the mandatory ITV roadworthiness test for their vehicle. 

Pau Moreno, a member of Sarral Town Council, estimated on Saturday that there were between 500 and 1,000 people at the rave from all over Europe, including France, Italy and Belgium, and over 100 vehicles parked near the woods. 

The mayor of Sarral, Maria Victòria Cañís, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that the noise from the rave didn't reach the town center, residents of the nearby village of Montbrió de la Marca were affected by the loud music and lasers. 

Cañís believes the party peaked on Saturday and expects some participants to leave on Sunday, but the bulk could end up staying until Monday. 

Llinars rave 

The policing of illegal raves was in the spotlight in January 2021 when the Mossos d'Esquadra took 36 hours to break up a New Year's party in an abandoned warehouse in Llinars. 

The then police chief claimed one of the reasons for the delay was a lack of officers – in the end, around 200 Mossos d'Esquadra were involved in the operation to bring a halt to the party which was attended by around 300 people. 

At the time, Covid restrictions meant that gatherings were limited to a maximum of 10 people.