The night Victorian police raided the Tasty nightclub

Just after midnight on Sunday, August 7, 1994 at Tasty nightclub, one of Melbourne’s most popular gay venues, the music suddenly stopped.

As many as 40 police officers burst into the nightclub, shouting orders through a megaphone and shining torches in faces. Over several hours, hundreds of patrons were stripsearched, often in full view of each other.

No one was permitted to leave while the raid was underway. Anyone who protested was charged with hindering a police operation. In the end, just two people were arrested for drug possession.

Officially known as Operation Maze, the raid was widely considered an attack on Melbourne’s gay community under the pretence of a drug bust. Twenty five years on, it’s remembered as an important event for gay activists.

Read More: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/the-night-victorian-police-raided-the-tasty-nightclub/news-story/6cf95e2b97ea011b2f9d38eff4c84f58




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