Last night Fabric had its licence revoked following a review meeting by Islington Council. This decision was made in spite of an online petition amassing 150k signatures and even Mayor Sadiq Khan expressing his support for Fabric.
The club has now released the following statement;
“Fabric is extremely disappointed with Islington Council’s decision to revoke our license. This is an especially sad day for those who have supported us, particularly the 250 staff who will now lose their jobs. Closing fabric is not the answer to the drug-related problems clubs like ours are working to prevent, and sets a troubling precedent for the future of London’s night time economy.”
Adding to the controversy, The Independent requested documents through the Freedom of Information act and found that Fabric’s closure might have been a pre-planned event. Deep their breakdown here, it’s a must-read.
The decision to close Fabric has mainly been a reaction to the drug related deaths that have taken place over the last few months; however will the closure of one venue really stem the amount of drug related deaths of our young people? Rather than solving the problem surely it will just simply push it further underground?
After DJ Mr. Mitch joked about a protest today, the idea has become reality with fans attempting to organise an impromptu protest rave outside Islington Town Hall. Whether or not this will achieve anything remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the closure has certainly ruffled more than a few feathers.
For more info on the protest rave check out the Facebook Event.