Noise pollution Techno fans in Bornheim continue to party
Bornheim · In mid-July, the Bornheim public order office and the police said they were taking action against illegal parties in the Bornheim area. The controls seem to be driving the organisers around - but a resounding success is still lacking.
The greater Cologne-Bonn area is described as "too risky" in a group on the messenger service Telegram. What is apparently meant are controls by the public order office and the police, because it is about unregistered techno parties. As reported, such late-night gatherings have become a problem in the Bornheim area: From the improvised festival grounds, the basses in particular roar over long distances through the night and deprive residents of sleep.
Police and the public order office had reported to be taking action against the reckless revellers with controls. A party at a subway in Bornheim with 100 participants was broken up, and police patrols went to similar places after receiving tips from the public. Such operations seem to make the organisers and participants of such parties in the region ponder, as contributions from the above-mentioned channel suggest.
Quitting does not seem to be an option
What is not questioned, however, is whether making noise at night in populated areas is morally or legally justifiable. It is only the danger of being caught and prosecuted that apparently prompts the organisers to check the acceptance of their clientele for other locations. A survey in the above-mentioned Telegram group, which was leaked to the GA, reflects a relatively clear picture of opinion: according to the survey, more than 60 per cent of those questioned are willing to travel to a new, "somewhat remote" location. From Cologne, this location could be reached in half an hour at the most. "It depends," signals about one third conditional willingness to relocate, less than ten percent are categorically against it.
Whether the group with more than 300 members is actually directly connected to the illegal techno parties in Bornheim could not be verified. An enquiry with the city administration concluded that neither side has given up so far. "Such parties still take place on a regular basis, but there are still regular checks," summarises city spokesman Christoph Lüttgen. He is currently keeping quiet about details of further action.
Illegal techno parties are not only a problem in Bornheim. Last week, the Kölner Stadtanzeiger reported on five such gatherings that were broken up by the public order office in various parts of the city during the last weekend in July. Only time will tell whether the control pressure in Bornheim is sufficient to drive the scene out of there.
