Cannabis Protests Heat UP

New York Cops Snatch 150 Cannabis Campaigners

Undercover cops arrested 148 civil rights protestors in New
York last weekend as over 6,000 people joined Manhattan's
leg of the worldwide legalise cannabis demonstrations.

According to the New York Times, scores of plain clothes
police infiltrated the march between Houston Street and
Battery Park and "repeatedly led away individuals and
groups of protestors who were seen smoking marijuana."

The zero tolerance, totalitarian approach contrasted
dramatically with the scene in London's Brockwell Park
where up to 60,000 protestors gathered to protest and
dance.

Bloody Pigz, go find some real crime with some real victims!

Well, it is illegal and the police are doing their job. Perhaps there is a way to protest to have the law changed without breaking the law and have the police arrest people?

I thought Police are supposed to protect victims of crime?

Surely there were some muggings, rapings or murders going down in NY that warranted more attention than a few pot smoking hippies?

Nah Harvey, J-Day is important to the reform movement if only to publicise the cause and show that a large group of smokers can be together in the same place and no crime will result from this 'dangerous activity.'

Arrests are actually the best way to push the movement unfortunately. Clog up the police and court resources until the law is economically unviable.

Harvey is right avout the police's role though, to uphold the law. Don't blame the police as I'm sure there are people pulling their strings over what to do about these types of events. The US and NY politicians (and bush in particular) are very anti drug and would have informed the police to act in this circumstance and the police would have had no option.

"People say, 'We are losing the War on Drugs!' Well you know what that implies? There's a war going on, and the people on drugs are winning it!"

"It's not a war on drugs, it's a war on personal freedom. Keep that in mind at all times, thanks."

a little something from Bill Hicks for you.....

A great, great man

R.I.P

Good old Brockwell Park-I used to love smoking a big spliff and running down there from my house for a few laps to try and keep fit. Perhaps it's time for the NZ police to follow the example of the Lambeth police and stop bothering chuffers. It was a good enough example for police in the rest of the UK to follow-thus freeing up resources for policeing
real crime. The UK seems to be heading for some sort of decriminalisation-driven in part by the police there deciding that they're sick of wasting their time and have better things to do.

harvey: are you saying the police have no choice as to what they do? are they robots or humans?

i say blame the police, blame the law makers, blame mr bush, blame whoever.....

just cos the law has been made doesn't mean it's inherently "right"

like the great man said, "war on personal freedom, that's what it is."

Police have a job to do, and thats what they're doing - no more, no less. If someone does something that their boss tells them to do, blame the boss, not the worker (within reason of course).