Nobody likes making sad puppy eyes at the entrance of a venue when it’s 1:32am. The lockout laws have already claimed many victims on the Sydney clubbing circuit, and last September, punters took to the streets to voice their concerns at an increasingly regulated and wounded nightlife scene.

The Reclaim The Streets rally took place from Hyde Park to Kings Cross – targeting hotspots where the lockout laws have hit the hardest – and culminated in a makeshift gig at Taylor’s Square. We attended and saw a flurry of colour at the jovial and peaceful event, with mini-stages hosting sets filled with house, techno, garage, hip-hop and everything in between. Gaining much mainstream media attention across Australia, it gave us hope that Sydney can survive if enough people show that they care.

We’ve spent many years documenting and photographing our years in and around the Sydney nightlife scene, so it means the world to us! Plus we definitely like to turn up every once and again. We would encourage all to attend the next Reclaim The Streets rally, scheduled for December 12. This time, it’s hitting the Inner West – kicking off at Camperdown Memorial Park at 2:00pm before marching and dancing away soon after.

Check out some photos of the September rally below, and keep up with all the details for the December edition here.

Images by Tolmie, taken via Reclaim the Streets Facebook page