Just days after two people passed away from suspected drug overdoses and a further 700 people were treated on site at Sydney's Defqon. 1, patrons have claimed that police presence at the festival scared festival-goers away from the medical tent and a stand selling DIY drug testing kits.
As reported by news.com.au, it was alleged on social media that patrons were "followed and questioned by police after approaching the vendor and buying purity testing kits."
"This happen to me, I was at the tent looking to buy a pill testing kit, while standing at the tent my friend came over and said 'Hey bro, don't buy anything three police are watching you from behind,'" said one anonymous festival-goer.
"So I turned around and saw one police in [t]he corner of my eyes. I decided not to buy anything from the tent and walked off. While doing so the police still followed us when walking to the red stage. So we went into the mosh pit and lost them. But yes I can confirm police was watching."
Another post continues on to say “There was also that many police around the medic tents that it was turning sick people off because they didn’t want to get searched or charged with possession."
Additionally, David Gould, whose company Blow Me First which "facilitates drug and alcohol testing at events Australia-wide" had a stall on site, has said he heard reports that customers were being followed by police.
“They were stood around watching what we were doing and asking lots of questions," said Gould to news.com.au. "There were people who kept coming back and standing there, I assume they were undercover officers.”
Both the festival and NSW Police are yet to respond to the claims, which come just days after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has again rejected calls to introduce pill testing at Australian music festivals.
In an exclusive opinion piece written for The Music this week, Ted Noffs Foundation Campaigns & Policy Coordinator Shelley Smith took aim at government for refusing to look at the evidence from pill testing at conducted at Groovin The Moo this year.
"How can our politicians continue to ignore both science and the electorate, when there have been far too many deaths?" Smith wrote.
"We’ve established that we can prevent harm at music festivals, so why do governments continue to bury their heads in the sand?"
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