Sydney Will Literally Fight for Their Right to Party In A Huge Anti-Lockouts Protest

As you're probably aware, the night owls of Sydney are seriously unhappy with the NSW government for a few reasons — the most prominent being the citywide strict and stifling lockout laws. Imposed almost two years ago, the laws have had an unmistakably massive effect on the city's nightlife and its dependants alike.

Needless to say, the tension is palpable. And this Saturday, December 12, activist group Reclaim The Streets are planning a multi-stage mobile protest festival in Newtown to take a stand against the restrictive laws that threaten the livelihood of young people, artists and many businesses.

The protest project is named ‘A liveable city for all’. They say it's not fair to be locked out of your own city by excessive rents — it's no secret that Sydney is renowned for having insane rent prices — and suffocating curfew laws, which include a 1.30am lockout and 3am last drinks. In their words, the city is "not just an investment portfolio for the super-rich". Damn right.

The lockout laws, in particular, have hit young people hard — and it's not just the closure of venues. After all, it's almost exclusively young adults who work tough shifts as bar staff, glassies and DJs. And while statistics say the incident rate of violence has dropped in hotspot areas like the CBD and Kings Cross since the laws were introduced, it seems the same kind of violence has risen in inner-city areas such as Newtown and Surry Hills.

Reclaim the Streets says that the government has cost them a dancefloor, so, with a preliminary lineup of a buttload of quality local acts, they’ll be making one themselves. See you on Saturday gang, where we will literally fight for our right to party.

The Reclaim The Streets protest will start from Camperdown Memorial Park on Saturday, December 12 at 2pm. For information, see their event page.