Riot Fest believes everyone should feel safe during the music festival. We will help maintain this by not tolerating harmful behaviors, which may include non-consensual touching or verbal harassment. If a participant chooses to break these policies they may be removed from the fest. If someone or something makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, no matter how minor it may seem, please do not stay silent. You can report it to any Riot Fest staff member and they will follow your lead and work with you to try to make sure it does not happen again and that you continue to feel safe at our festival.
Riot Fest has a ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY for harassment of any kind, including but not limited to: race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, age, body size, disability, appearance, religion, citizenship, pregnancy.
Harassment includes but is not limited to: stalking, verbal or physical intimidation, offensive verbal comments, physical assault and/or battery, harassing or non-consensual photography or recording, bathroom policing, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome physical attention.
If you are still struggling to figure out what we mean by our anti-harassment policy, here are some examples:
EXAMPLE A: You see someone in the crowd that you think is attractive (i.e. wearing your favorite Black Flag T-Shirt)…
DO: Take a moment to ask yourself, “does that person really want you to stop their music experience to be ‘hit on’?” Now, if you still think it’s a good idea, be prepared for rejection—and be respectful by saying something specific, like “Cool dance move!” or “Great Weezer tee!”
DO: Keep a reasonable distance between you and the person (NO ONE LIKES A CLOSE TALKER!) and be aware of social cues. If they move away from you or turn their head away, that might be your cue to STOP TALKING.
DO NOT: Say “hey beautiful,” “sexy,” “cutie,” “punk-rocker,” or ask them things like, “Why aren’t you dancing?” Don’t continue to stand near them or try to engage them if they are not interested.
EXAMPLE B: When the music moves you to start dancing…
DO: Respect peoples’ space around you and dance in your own personal bubble and with your friends. If you happen to be part of a “mosh pit” (or what parents call a Mash Pot), just mosh with other people involved.
DO NOT: Grab someone and start dancing with them. Remember that song about whipping your hair back and forth? Even if it is great and fun, no one wants someone else’s hair in their mouth!
EXAMPLE C: You are trying to get through a crowd of people to see your favorite band…
DO: Remember that other people want to see the band. So if there’s no space ahead of them DON’T force your way to the front. If there is space, DO politely say excuse me.
DO NOT: Push, shove, or run over other humans. Know what’s a bummer? When someone pushes past you then stands right in front of you!
A special thanks to Between Friends and Resilience whose campaign #OurMusicMyBody helped inform this anti-harassment statement. This campaign works to engage festivals, venues, and the broader music community to prevent sexual harassment and violence at shows, and to promote fun and consensual music experiences for all.
#OurMusicMyBody is a collaborative campaign by Between Friends and Resilience. They look to further the conversation about sexual harassment and violence within the music community by informing policy changes, creating booths at the concerts and by engaging in dialogue with artists, attendees and community members. They will have a booth at Riot Fest where you can learn more about this campaign and/or to get support and resources.
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