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player ready...Sixteen teenagers were facing trespassing charges after being arrested on Friday at the shuttered Congress Theater in the Logan Square neighborhood, Chicago police said. The arrests occurred nearly a week after police shut down an unsanctioned rave at the theater.
Two of the teens arrested Friday were also cited for having replica firearms.
Police said the arrests occurred about 8:15 p.m. on Friday, after officers responded to a call of criminal trespass. Multiple teenagers attempted to flee the scene but were taken into custody.
Last week, the abandoned theater was the site of a rave spearheaded by DJ Kula, a local underground DJ, according to a report from Block Club Chicago. Kula has hosted unsanctioned raves at spots across the city, including the Jackson Red Line station, the vacant Portage Theater and the now-demolished Damen Silos. Hundreds of people were in attendance at the Logan Square rave, per Block Club’s report.
The historic Congress Theater has become a popular spot for “urban explorers,” with social media posts showing people exploring the building’s dark, dilapidated interior.