WESTERN BALKAN CONDITIONS

It’s hard for me to write about anything right now. The West-Balkán tragedy has touched me, and I’m completely under its spell. Somehow, this is different; this is damn well about us.

 

 

About us, who go out into the night week after week. The senseless death of three teenage girls… It’s simply incomprehensible.

The culprits are known, we know that well. Their responsibility is undeniable. 2881 wristbands sold in a venue with a maximum capacity of, generously, 1500 people.

What happened at West-Balkán is a direct consequence of irresponsibility, profit-seeking, and the violation of safety regulations.

Adhering to capacity limits and ensuring escape routes should be the most basic starting point when organizing such a party. Not to mention, what if a fire had broken out? Because I’m just now reading that no fire safety report was ever even made for the venue due to the operator's trickery!!! Naturally, they didn't give a damn about any safety measures. After all, who has time to worry about the safety of thousands of teenagers and young adults when wristbands are selling by the thousands, at a thousand forints each?

Not surprisingly, the whitewashing began even before noon.

According to the statement signed "Noise Night Life team," the people of West-Balkán were responsible for "admitting guests, controlling the crowd, ensuring the physical safety of guests, and continuously maintaining order both inside and in front of the building."

West Balkán Kft. issued a statement on Sunday, saying they leased the venue to NNL at a fixed price, so they had no interest in ticket sales. Noise Night Life handled both ticket sales and crowd control.

Ridiculous.

I would like to send a message to the members of the Noise Night Life team and West Balkán Kft. who were involved in the organization – who, by the way, only prepare for such parties for weeks – that while they are trying to prove they are not to blame for anything, please watch this video. Preferably from the VI. district police station.

Because if I throw a house party, I take responsibility for it with the neighbors the next day. The one who organizes is responsible. It's clear. Both teams are at fault, both are responsible. And for this, three girls had to die last night.

Now, of course, everyone is there. From Zsófia Hassay to Tamás Tóth to Sándor Pintér. Every office is itching to type and scrambling for microphones. The air is electric with measures. They feel it's important to make some enormous stupid statement. Permits, safety regulations and legal regulations, right? Of course. Because until now, the system didn't roll that way. Until now, checking papers or issuing permits somehow wasn't important. Because in this damn country, people have to die for commonly known shams, deficiencies, and the utter disregard of rules to come to light.

"Due to the tragic disco accident that occurred on Saturday night, the municipality and the leadership of the mayor's office held a consultation on January 16, 2011, in the morning, involving the competent officials of the local police headquarters."

Aha. Thank you. And where the hell were these authorities when West Balkán was operating merrily for months, evading continuous violations and botched safety checks, without any permits for organizing mass events? Max. 300 people, until 10:00 PM. Get out.

But to continue the thread of incompetence, here's an official statement. Seriously, I'm about to cry. It's incredible what's going on in this country.

"In addition to the above, the operator should have notified at least five days in advance that they intended to hold such a large-scale event. However, no such notification was received by either the mayor's office or the police, so the official authorities had no knowledge of this event."

You understand. So neither Noise nor West Balkán reported the party, nor all the others they have been illegally holding for about 3-4, but who knows how many, months. Do they really think we’re that stupid? First of all, such parties are heavily promoted. Facebook (yes, they took down the January 15th party), posters, music portals. But for God's sake, we're talking about Nyugati Square, Budapest's busiest hub. Where it must surely be noticed by someone that there's a crowd in front of a well-known entertainment venue 2-3 times a week, whether it's reported or not. And I'm not even mentioning the truck drivers' and prostitutes' party, where the square was literally full of people. Pathetic. There are no words for how pathetic it is.

Now, obviously, the shit-storm will begin. Exemplary punishment, a precedent-setting trial, scrutiny of other entertainment venues, review of permits. Oh, right, eternal life, free ammunition. I don't give a damn what punishment Tomika Kecskés and the other monkeys get (obviously nothing). In a few days, all this will die down. But the three girls died. So what do we do about that now? I don't want to play on emotions, but three families were destroyed on January 15th, and Noise and West Balkán pulled the trigger. It doesn't matter which of the two. But they must answer for their actions.

I feel helpless anger, and as I mentioned, this is about us too. How many places can I name off the top of my head where this could happen again at any time? Do you remember the basement rooms of Süss fel nap or Morrison's 2? Are you familiar with Stúdió's mega-parties with 6000 people? I'd be curious to know how many emergency exits there are there if a similar incident occurs. Does channeling festivals into tents between 1.5-meter-wide metal barriers say anything?

But let’s not think for a minute that anything will change. Because as long as there are enough wristbands, enough ink for the stamp, enough tickets printed, every ticket will be sold. In fact, if possible, even after, let there be no doubt about that. Because they will absolutely not care how many people are inside. Or that there’s been no space in the coatroom for an hour. Lack of air? Not important. The force of the crowd? They can handle it. A fire could break out? No problem. After all, only hundreds of people are smoking inside.

"The operator of the entertainment venue, incidentally, requested registration several times since last spring, and then withdrew these requests before the official investigations were completed."

Night Noise and West Balkán have crossed the critical point. Now they are trying to explain the inexplicable in pathetic statements. It is possible not to follow the rules, to trick with registration, to laugh at safety regulations, but one thing is not possible. To escape accountability and point fingers at others after such a tragedy has occurred, knowing all this. I sincerely hope that the police, the prosecutor's office, and all responsible authorities agree and are aware of this. Because if they don't, we will pass judgment.

Rest in peace, children.