EASTER YOUTH GATHERINGS AND LIN MEI’S RESPONSE — A FAILING SYSTEM OR MORAL PANIC?

It began with a simple message circulating on Snapchat. Teenagers were invited to meet at a basketball court in south London to mark the start of the Easter holidays. The tone was informal but suggestive: attendees were encouraged to bring their own cannabis and laughing gas, with the promise of a long night ahead. What followed quickly escalated beyond a casual gathering. Hundreds of young people turned up to the so-called “link-up” last Saturday before moving towards Clapham High Street.