Antsla Municipality looking for legal ways to bar 'hippie' festival

On Friday, the representatives of Antsla Municipality, the Health Board (Terviseamet), the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) and other authorities met in connection to a month-long 'hippie' festival, the municipality was given a recommendation to cancel the festival.
Antsla Deputy Mayor Kurmet Müürsepp and Tiia Luht, head of the Southern Region of the Health Board, opened up on the meeting on Vikerraadio's news show "Uudis+".
Müürsepp acknowledged that there has been no application made to the municipality to host the event. "The national institutions behind the table recommended Antsla Municipality to order the event canceled and we are trying to do so. But it is difficult to cancel something legally that has not even been requested."
He confirmed that if the order is given but there are still signs of an event on the location, further action will be handed over to the police.
Müürsepp added that they are trying to get the land owner to register the event but they have not yet reached an agreement.
Tiia Luht, representative of the Health Board, said that the largest point of concern is the internationality of the event. She said there is no conditions in the material regarding the self-isolation of visitors from high-risk countries.
Luht said: "There are no disinfectant stations available for hygiene which we strongly recommend. Those should be based on alcohol for this spread of COVID-19. Their ('hippies' - ed.) life style excludes that.
Luht explained: "The Health board wants all events to meet requirements that have been set and be safe. Safe for visitors, safe for the local community."
Further actions will become clear at a later meeting.
Starting Monday, there is a month-long 'hippie' festival planned to take place in Antsla Municipality, with invites being shared in closed groups. The invites state that the use of tooth paste, soap and shampoo is forbidden because it does not meet the principles of the festival.
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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste