A nightclub had to fight back after a recent spike prevention update was criticized as blaming the victim.
Glow nightclub on Mary Street in Lancashire closed on Wednesday night (27 October) following reports across the UK of women being doped “with needles”, LancsLive reports.
Local nightclub The Sugarhouse, run by the Lancaster University Students’ Union, also closed to train bar and security staff.
It comes as the nationwide boycott of Girls Night In took place across the UK on Wednesday night, with clubs across the country closing their doors in solidarity.
READ MORE: The night they said ‘no more’ – the protests that took place in Manchester and across the UK
But nightclub Glow has come under fire after it shared a list of written measures titled ‘what we ask of you’.
This included asking guests to understand why searches are necessary, never leaving drinks unattended, being mindful of who is around you, being mindful of people in your party, and staying informed about who they are and where they are and not to take drugs before or after entering the room.
The nightclub also shared eight “steps” it is taking as a venue after the boycott, including plans for increased in-depth searches at the entrance.
They have also pledged to remove all unattended drinks, no matter how full.
In response to sharing these five demands, Glow received backlash from guests who felt they were imposing the responsibility of blowing up the victims.
(Image: Glow Nightclub)
Molly, a final year student at Lancaster University, told LancsLive that she felt ‘solidarity’ was ‘very good’, but that the five demands put forward by Glow were ‘like asking girls not to each other’. sting”.
Molly told LancsLive: “It’s like saying if you’re doped, you probably left a drink unattended, or you had bare legs, so it’s your fault.
“They should search every person, they limit their capacity and the majority of their events are chargeable. I have never been checked before, they should do a thorough search and deny entry to anyone who refuses to be searched.
“Being a woman at a party means you’re already hyper aware of what’s going on around you,” she said.
“We should just be able to go out, it shouldn’t be our responsibility.”
Paul Junior, managing director of Glow Nightclub, told Lancs Live: “We’re all in this together. Nightclubs, police, CCTV operators, customers and other nightlife workers.
“We all need to look out for each other and do everything we can to stop this shameful act.
“Our post was not meant to blame anyone, it was just highlighting some of the things our customers can do to protect themselves alongside the security measures we have in place.”
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Alongside their posters, Glow Nightclub said: “Since operating this venue in 2016, we have never been contacted by police, licensing or local authorities regarding any suspected spikes inside our venue. .”
Charli Clement, also a student at Lancaster University, told Glow Nightclub, “Your ‘solidarity’ means absolutely nothing when you turn off comments on Facebook and Instagram.
“Tell us how long your actions will take and stop putting so much pressure on the individual not to get stung. Disgusting behavior.”
Charli went on to explain that the club ‘deserved’ some negative feedback in response to their post, after they disabled the feature when asked for a timeline of actions they needed to take on the site.
Charli said: “They blame the victims and there is no timeline for their actions.
“Much of the list of metrics they presented will require significant levels of training and roles will need to be recruited.
“A closed night and an Instagram post doesn’t solve that.
“No one is saying they are singularly responsible for this, but they are a big part of it and they deserve to be held accountable as a company with public responsibilities.”
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