Every Picture Tells A Story: One Day At The Federal Building

June 21, 1998

This is a shot from a protest party called "Celebrate Life", thrown at the Federal Building in the Westwood section of Los Angeles. It was a protest against police crackdowns on raves, one of the few times that the West Coast rave scene got overtly political. Considering the considerable persecution from the mainstream media and law enforcement the rave scene was under, it was remarkable that the people in the scene made their point of view felt in such a public and entertaining way.

What you can't see in this picture is that the grass area in front of the Federal Building (out of frame to the right) is filled solidly with a few thousand party goers, which is why these folks are spilling out onto Wilshire Boulevard--much to the puzzlement of the people driving by. Remember that this area is right near a freeway off-ramp, so that people coming from far-off places on the 405 would be exiting the freeway, and encountering...this. I think the phrase "WTF?!" may have been uttered once or twice. It was a great case of different viewpoints colliding in a most unexpected fashion.

This shot is part of the iBook "DANCEFLOOR THUNDERSTORM: The Out-Takes".