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808 Festival Security Accused of Invasive Searches
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Electronic music festival 808 came under fire on social media after attendees complained about the invasive security searches.
As part of this year’s strict no-drug policy, the Bangkok music festival placed police officers at the entry points – but attendees are questioning whether the body checks were too invasive.
A festival-goer who attended the music event took to social media to visually document how women were checked “inside the bra directly,” “between the legs,” and getting their private parts touched over clothes.
The social media footage shows female festival-goers getting groped and inappropriately touched by security guards.
While men and women were assigned to sex-corresponding security guards, attendees reported no advance notice or attempt to gain consent.
According to social media threads, 808’s search tactics mostly targeted women as male festival-goers weren’t subject to such intimate searching. One Twitter user who attended the 808 Festival described the security check as “the most intense I’ve ever been through.”
“Under the bra and around your crotch. In fairness in the 5 mins I was there they took about 4 people away.”
Other users said the festival’s security checks were “way out of line,” as one of them said that she felt “so insecure among many people around.”
808 Festival management responded to the accusations, saying the security guards were police officers looking for drugs and that they “have no control over it.”
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