Julian Huppert, newly elected MP for Cambridge, has joined the protest against the cancellation of the Cambridge Strawberry Fair.

The fair, which is a volunteer-run arts, crafts, music, and entertainments fair, has been held annually on Midsummer Common for thirty years. A City Council Survey in 2008 named the Strawberry Fair as Cambridge’s favourite outdoor arts event and the level of protest at its cancellation is testament to this.

Mr Huppert has responded to community outrage by calling for a law change to protect the fair. Organisers chose to cancel the fair after police appealed the granting of the event’s license. This follows disruption at the 2009 fair during which the police made 400 arrests. The license, which had already been approved by the City Council before the police appeal, was forced to undergo a lengthy review procedure meaning organisers could not guarantee the event for 5th June.

The proposed law change would prevent such late appeals and would have saved this year’s fair. Any change would affect the Licensing Act, which is already under review by the government. Mr Huppert has called for his request to be included in any changes to the Act. Huppert said on behalf of all such events that: "Organisers should not be left in this vulnerable position."

Support is great for any change to restore the fair. A Facebook campaign, ‘Strawberry fair petition 2010’, combated the cancellation by organising an unofficial fair on Midsummer Common on 5th June, when the Strawberry Fair would have been held. Their fair aimed to demonstrate to the police that such an event need not cause problems. ‘Were [sic] NOT going to trash the place!!’ the Facebook page promised.

On the 5th June Chief Insp Dave Sargen claimed that fewer people used the Common than on a normal Saturday. There was no large-scale unrest and only one arrest was made for a public order offence.

The official Strawberry Fair organisers encouraged people not to take part in the unofficial event. They are fronting their own campaign under the slogan ‘They’ve Nicked Our Strawberry, Fair?!’, which aims to restore the fair legitimately for 2011. They are currently seeking donations to support the fair’s legal battle. Information about this campaign can be found on the Strawberry Fair’s official website.

Hopes for the fair’s restoration are strong and a Facebook page for the 2011 fair has already been started. Applications to volunteer at a Strawberry Fair also remain open.