​Bratislava club WAX2 raided by police in “target inspection”

WAX2, a nightclub in Bratislava, Slovakia, was reportedly raided by police over the weekend in a “target inspection”, the club has said in a statement.

In the early hours of Saturday, September 28, police officers were said to have entered the club during an event from local promoters OLAM and Dutch radio station Intergalactic FM.

In a statement posted yesterday (September 30), promoters claim that around “40 police officers” entered the building in an “unexpected intervention” that ultimately led to the party’s cancellation. Police have said in a follow-up statement that the raid was a “control action”.

“[We] wish to express our deepest regret and disappointment over the distressing incident that occurred during our event,” reads a joint statement from OLAM, Intergalactic FM, and WAX2.

“Attendees, many of whom had travelled from across the world to celebrate music and community, were treated like criminals. Forced to line up against the wall, they were subjected to invasive searches, with police dogs sniffing around as officers carried out pat-downs on everyone present.”

According to organisers, those in attendance were forced to face a wall and put their hands above their heads for “more than two hours”, with one attendee telling Bratislava outlet Startitup: “You couldn't even scratch, turn your head, they were watching us, my hands were hurting, but they had to stay above my head.”

Organisers continued: “This ordeal left our guests and team feeling shocked, stressed, and for some, deeply traumatised, raising serious concerns about safety and the potential impact on future events in Bratislava."

Police spokesperson Michal Szeiff said that the raid took place in order to check the club’s cash registers and ensure the issuance of receipts, and said that warnings had been received about the distribution of drugs at the venue.

According to Szeiff, “plastic bags containing white crystalline substances were seized from several people on the scene”. Dogs were also on the scene to identify “narcotic and psychotropic substances”.

Five people were arrested, police said. All five attendees were taken to the police department and given charges on the accounts of “unathorised possession of a narcotic and psychotropic substance.”

Party organisers explained: “It's heartbreaking to see nine months of hard work, energy put in and investment erased in a matter of moments. The financial damage caused by this incident is enormous, amounting to €12,000.”

They added that the incident is now a “political issue”, following a statement posted by Bratislava mayor Matúš Vallo. He explained: “I will strongly demand an explanation from the competent ones as to what the reason for [the raid was], and under what circumstances the incitement to the raid arose.”

“We remember the periodic demonstrations of force from the ‘90s,” Vallo said. “Please do not make music clubs in our city a crime scene, when at the same time the state fails to solve crime in other places, which our residents have also pointed out for a long time.”

“It will not help the credibility of any police force involved and unnecessarily traumatise people who come to the club to have fun in good faith and with good intention.”

The incident comes just a month after police reportedly raided another popular Bratislava club, Kácečko, in August. Kácečko’s owner told Slovakian outlet Refresher: “You can look for "criminals", but you are looking for them among a bunch of innocent, unsuspecting people who are needlessly frightened by such a raid.”

The Financial Administration and Bratislava’s Police Force have said in a statement that the recent raid “proceeded fully in accordance with the regulations, and there was no misconduct, and certainly no inappropriate behaviour towards [WAX2]'s visitors.”

Speaking on the raid, organisers said that they are committed to “fostering a safe and inclusive environment for all who engage with electronic music and nightlife culture,” and will “continue to advocate for resilience and solidarity within our community.”

OLAM has offered refunds for those who purchased tickets to Saturday’s event. A fundraiser has also been set up to help support the party financially, and to help “recover the €12,000 euros lost due to this unwarranted attack”.

“We are grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and allies in the electronic music scene and urge everyone to join us in promoting a more respectful and understanding approach to nightlife culture.”

Read the full statement from OLAM, Intergalactic FM, and WAX2 below, and read a statement from Bratislava’s Mayor, Matúš Vallo. Help support OLAM’s fundraising efforts here.

Mixmag has reached out to OLAM, WAX2, Intergalactic FM, and Bratislava’s Police Force for comment.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter