Sydney dance party popular with LGBTI clubbers “shut down” following suspected drug overdoses

Sydney dance party popular with LGBTI clubbers “shut down” following suspected drug overdoses
Image: (Image credit: Ann-Marie Calilhanna; Star Observer)

A KEY fixture on Sydney’s LGBTI club scene was reportedly closed down last night after NSW Police attended the event, responding to allegations of drug overdoses.

Police say the authorities attended a venue on the city centre thoroughfare of George Street — identified by Fairfax Media as ‘I Remember House’ at the Ivy — twice.

A statement from police said emergency services “were called on a number of occasions” after allegations of drug overdoses.

The Star Observer understands the venue itself called the emergency services.

“At 9.40pm officers were again called to the location after reports a 50-year-old woman was in need of medical treatment,” the statement read.

“Police attended and two patrons were conveyed by ambulance to hospital, while a number of others were removed from the premises under the effects of what is believed to be prohibited drugs.”

According to reports, the affected clubbers were believed to have taken drugs including MDMA and ecstasy.

Sydney City Crime Manager, Detective Inspector John Maricic, told the Star Observer: “When officers attended at 9.40pm, they spoke with the licensee and the dance party was shut down about 9.50pm”.

However, Fairfax Media has reported that Merivale – owner of the Ivy – said the event was not shut down and the last song was played at 9.55pm with the night concluding at its regular 10pm closing time.

In January, the NSW Government’s Independent Liquor and Gaming Authority temporarily closed Darlinghurst’s The Exchange Hotel following a request by police who alleged the venue was in “serious breach” of the 2007 Liquor Act.

This is believed to be in relation to former day club Up, which has failed to reopen.

In addition, earlier this month Erskineville’s Imperial Hotel was forced to shut for three days.

Police said this was due to “serious concerns about drug activity and the risk to public health and safety following investigations conducted on the premises”.

The Imperial has since reopened.

 

Editor’s note: This article was updated with additional information on 15 July 2015.

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11 responses to “Sydney dance party popular with LGBTI clubbers “shut down” following suspected drug overdoses”

  1. My Order just introduced…

    Legislative Instruments and Acts (Marriage Equality) Order 2015

    (1) WEREAS; All references throughout all Australian Acts of Parliament and common law that say; “man”, “woman”, “male”, “female”, “husband”, “wife”, “him”, “he”,
    “she”, “her”, etc. – are to must now include same-sex partners and/or same-sex spouses under this Order! (e.g. both the Marriage Act 1961 and the Family Law Act 1975).

    (2) WEREAS; All references throughout all Australian legislative instruments, regulations and common law that say; “man”, “woman”, “male”, “female”, “husband”, “wife”, “him”, “he”,
    “she”, “her”, etc. – are to must now include same-sex partners and/or same-sex spouses under this Order!

    (3) This Order becomes effective from the date of issue!

    Legislative Instruments and Acts (Marriage Equality) Order 2015
    Issued: 9/7/2015, Thursday at 4:30PM!

  2. Josh, clearly you need to smoke some drugs, every drug, hopefully some rat poison as well.

    Both Peter and mark have a hell of a lot to say but hey, if we all wrote in clear fucking English politicians might ban humans as well as meta fucking data since no one it seems can define either of them.

    Me and those over 30 still alive i call mates who are gay, shock horror all agree that our thinking of ‘never say never’ might be slightly flawed regarding ice use. It however si no more to blame in the scheme of things than I am for breaking my crack pipe early on last weekend. Injecting instead with a syringe found outside in the redfern gtter, and trying to blame someone other than SEARGENT FATARSE.

    Of course we all took drugs in the fun years, fuck loads, I never saw a homo dealer with a gun, in fact my elder sister, who, making me by definition gay royalty, had the first fuck in Arq, prior to the doors opening on the opening night, said, as part of a group who basically ‘were’ the darlo drug guys, sold drugs only to party, never considered owning a gun or violence, not being necessary and recently said were supplied by the absolute top of the top, beyond criminals, and gays lol. Not those fucking idiot caught a few years ago either bringing in tons or something, google the satellite group from memory.

    Quote ‘Of course the police knew of us, us, me , I had one once clean my boots, in Arq, plainclothed, as i was convinced there was some gum on them’. Of course shere wasnt.

    Problem, threat, no, but Fatarse, on the other hand wasnt trying to justify his existance.

    Did Arq ever bribe the cops, id be suprised, if so it was nothing criminal so to speak, of course, young educated cops LOVE walking dogs at midnight, after likely having fucking walked their own that arvo, and we all LOVE our time wasted catchng no one, other than some kid, at Sydney Uni Law etc, with a pill on him, or shock horror a joint.

    There are a lot to blame for the demise fo sydney gadom, mostly us gays, after all, Seargent Fatarse counldnt have realsied he had a small cock hangup if it wasnt us who allowed ourselves to be fucked over. No we asked him for another office more hung to double fuck us innocently.

    The guys who did all the ahrdwork oare all dead, all. They would be machine gunning our generation from their graves if they knew.

  3. I remember when gay people took quite a lot of drugs while t socialising . They were not compulsory of course and more peopke did not take drugs than did. But still drugs were everywhere. No one got hurt. There were no fights. No King Hits, No car accidents, No crime, any in my circles there were no addicts. Just a lot of fun. Then of course senior sergent barge arse, the dirty arse , took over. Now look. What a failure the police are. Blind ignorant thugs. Nazis in search of a victim The polatics of ignorance and darkness. ITS A TOTAL SOCIAL AND PUBLIC HEALTH FAILURE.

  4. Tony Abbott is the WORST prime minister Australia has ever had – kiss your human rights good bye! A new world order is happening in Australia folks I swear it, Tony Abbott the dictator is starting to take our personal civil rights and liberties away – under the disguise of the old 2005 John Howard Handbook of “national security” line! They started with the new law on journalists, then metadata, then blocking websites! They did the very same thing back 11 years ago in 2004 on banning gay marriage in Australia – under the “it’s in the bible” line – under the John Howard last minute law before the 2004 election. Next Tony Abbott will form an alliance with Christian Theocracy mates of both Fred Nile and Cory Bernardi to outlaw gay sex and very secretly change over to become an ISIS/ISL Muslim nation under the disguise of Christianity – just like Bali and Indonesia right next door! Tony Abbott is not even a citizen of this country! But now he wants to target people’s citizenship. This has to stop now! This country is now under Christian Taliban control and now has website filters just like Dictatorship Communist North Korea and China! This is no longer Australia – all because of Tony Abbott and previous PMs in government!

  5. Poor DJ Dan Murphy, I know he’ll be very disappointed as he always stresses his parties are to be drug free. It’s always a few that spoil it for the majority.