Symbols of Rave Culture

Medium: Dance and Music

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Artist: Rave party-goers

Confronting Bodies: Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

Dates of Action: 2001

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Description of Artwork: Symbols of rave culture such as masks, glow items, pacifiers, and vapor rub.

The Incident: DEA banned symbols of rave culture from a prominent dance venue, saying that these items constitute "drug paraphernalia."

Results of Incident: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) asked a federal court to prohibit the government ban. The U.S. District Court ruled that legal items could not be prohibited because of their association with illegal activities. According to Judge Thomas Porteous, this violated the party-goers First Amendment rights.

Source: Freedom Forum and https://laaclu.org/newsArchive.php?id=296#n296