[koeselitz]

I am no huge fan of the BPD, and I don't deny that their tactics here were silly. But there is real history behind this issue, and it's a legitimate safety concern. It was only a few years ago that the Station fire happened less than fifty miles away from Boston; a hundred people died that night, and people haven't forgotten it, nor should they. This is an area that has a ton of old buildings that aren't coded for large numbers of people. It's a very real risk to pack people in.

And - fires happen fast. Between the moment a fire starts and the moment when people start dying, there generally isn't time for a neighbor to call the police and complain.

This isn't a noise issue; it's a fire hazard issue.

[SethMurphy]

Thanks for the history. It certainly seems to explain the political and community motivation beyond the assumed "let's get those punks."

However, while there may be some similarities I don't see it as the same situation as the Station any more than enforcing the fire code for any other gathering. if I remember correctly it was a valid nightclub and the permits they did not have involved the pyrotechnics not the show or venue. Doors were locked when they shouldn't have been, place was beyond capacity, etc ... a horrific tragedy.

if this is really a purely motivated by enforcing occupancy laws (and therefore fire codes) they should be cracking down on family reunions and Superbowl parties posted on social networks too.