After a Moog attendee levied an accusation against one of the club’s security guards, others have come forward with similar allegations.
Barcelona techno club Moog is under the public magnifying glass following allegations that members of its security team have used excessive force against attendees.
Last month, one such patron created an Instagram account with the handle @abusomoog dedicated to publishing both anonymous and on-the-record allegations of abuse. They inaugurated it with their own testimony, claiming that on February 3, a guard ignored them when they reported that another attendee was harassing and touching them, but that the guard then violently removed them from the club when they pushed the attendee away.
A few days later, the account published an anonymous testimony from an individual claiming that they were permanently banned from Moog for trying to protect a fellow attendee from a man who they suspected was attempting to drug her. Another alleges that they witnessed a security guard use excessive force against an individual outside the club, including an apparent video of the guard running toward the person recording it.
Reactions on @abusomoog’s posts are divided, with some criticizing the attendees for not filing a police report and others arguing that the club has failed to address incidents in which its staff members have used excessive force.
In an email to EDM Identity, a Moog representative shared that the club was working closely with authorities on an investigation, as well as through Barcelona’s “No Callem” protocol implemented to address gender violence in nightlife.
“Since the incident was reported on the Instagram account abusomoog, the No Callem platform has offered support to the individuals involved, including accompaniment and assistance services if needed,” they wrote. “However, to date, we have not received the official version from the other party involved, so we are still waiting for their collaboration to move forward with the investigation.”
The representative shared that Moog, which touts itself as “LGBTI friendly” and condemns “all forms of violence,” is also conducting an internal investigation. It has since implemented “an appropriate restructuring” as a means to “prevent similar situations from happening in the future.”
Moog’s representative did, however, challenge the legitimacy of the accuser’s account. They wrote, “Regarding the version of the events, we have noticed a discrepancy between the version shared by the complainant on Instagram and our own version. However, since the investigation is still ongoing, we cannot provide further details at this time.”
In spite of the qualities that set techno clubs apart from mainstream nightlife environments, a range of safety issues can arise in these environments. Recently, Berlin’s State Criminal Police Office began investigating an alleged rape that took place in the bathroom of Berghain’s Panorama bar.
