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London Club Fabric Forced to Close Following the Deaths of Two Patrons

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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 07: Flowers and a message are left outside Fabric nightclub following the announcement of its closure on September 7, 2016 in London, England. Fabric, which opened in 1999 and was voted World Number 1 Club in DJ Magazine's "Top 100 Clubs Poll" in 2007 and 2008, has had its licence revoked by Islington council, a decision that has been condemned across the political spectrum. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

London clubbers are mourning the closure of nightlife fixture Fabric. After hours of deliberation, a local council elected early Wednesday morning to revoke the club’s license following the drug-related deaths of two 18-year-olds earlier this summer, according to Mixmag.

The council voted to shut Fabric down on the grounds that it was “inadequate and in breach of the licensing conditions.” Their statement says, “Staff intervention and security was grossly inadequate in light of the overwhelming evidence that it was abundantly obvious that patrons in the club were on drugs and manifesting symptoms showing that they were.”

Fabric issued a statement in response to the decision:

This is an especially sad day for those who have supported us, particularly the 250 staff who will now lose their jobs. Closing Fabric is not the answer to the drug-related problems clubs like ours are working to prevent, and sets a troubling precedent for the future of London’s night time economy.

The club’s management voluntarily closed Fabric’s doors on August 11, not long after Jack Crossley died on August 6 after collapsing outside of the venue; a few weeks earlier, on June 26, Ryan Browne died after falling ill at the club.

Since its opening in 1999, Fabric grew to be one of Britain’s most renowned nightclubs; naturally, many Londoners are upset with the council’s decision. Following its voluntary closure in August, a Change.org petition was organized, pleading with London mayor Sadiq Khan to see that Fabric resume operations. The document has garnered more than 150,000 signatures and Khan himself backed the campaign, saying, “London’s iconic clubs are an essential part of our cultural landscape.” But Khan’s office isn’t allowed to directly intervene in licensing cases.

Speaking to the Guardian, Jacob Husley, the man who started the Change.org petition and who has worked at Fabric’s Sunday night party for nearly a decade, said that he’s not sure if the club’s owners would appeal the council’s ruling; he added that he hopes “we are not finished with this.”

Fabric’s shuttering has already inspired a outpouring of support from celebrities and musicians. Read the tweets below.