Dance ban pulls rug from under Buenos Aires partygoers

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – A party-pooper Argentine judge on Friday banned all “commercial dancing with live or recorded music” in Buenos Aires, possibly making even wedding receptions illegal.

It was not immediately clear how or if police would enforce the decree, which was issued after five young people died when taking what officials said was “toxic” drugs at an electronic dance music event two weeks ago in the capital.

“This is like, because there was a problem at the vegetable stand, we are going to order shut all butcher shops,” said Jorge Becco, head of the local disco owners’ association, after the ruling left the party people of Buenos Aires wondering if they might be arrested for dancing in clubs and bars.

Becco said Judge Roberto Gallardo’s order shows “this guy is living in a shoe box.”

“We are not the same as the Time Warp festival,” where the tragedy took place, he stressed. “We always have police checks and businesses are following all the rules.”

The grousing hit social media, ahead of what many in the city of three million people had been hoping would be another weekend of hard partying.

“My house is available,” one young man joked on Twitter, as people planned to hold private parties or just ignore the ban altogether.

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