UK: Council Plug For
Cannabis Event
Source: Birmingham Post
Date: June 19 2007
Author: Ben Goldby
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A pro-cannabis protest which could see up to a hundred people smoking drugs in
a Birmingham park this weekend has been advertised on Birmingham City Council's
website.
Campaigners say they are planning to "smoke out" laws banning the
drug - but the website notice was removed today by embarrassed council
officials after they were alerted by The Birmingham Post.
The What's On page of the council's website had shown a listing for the
"Healing of the Nations Smokey Bears Picnic" which will be held on
Sunday in Cannon Hill Park, at around 1pm. The event was described on the site
as "local and national like-minded people meeting to share food and
communicate with each other".
Cannabis users from all over the UK have been invited to the park for a picnic
protest to call for the legalisation of the drug. Smokey Bear is an alias
traditionally used by campaigners to organise mass demonstrations to flout laws
by smoking cannabis in public.
Colin Preece, the Legalise Cannabis Alliance
(LCA) spokesperson for the environment, said: "I am led to understand
that Smokey Bear has invited like minded people to join him there to smoke out
a bad law.
"I admit I submitted it to the What's on Page, but it's this character
called Smokey Bear that's been spreading the event on the Internet within
cannabis group communities.
"I called it the Healing of the Nations picnic because of the importance
of the healing part of the blessed God-given herb.
"All I did was put the information there for the public to see."
A council spokeswoman said: "We do not consider this unauthorised
gathering to be an appropriate use of a public park and have not agreed for it
to take place at Cannon Hill.
"The listing was submitted to our web team and was added to the site
before it became apparent what it was and it has now been removed. If anyone is
caught breaking the law then it will be a police matter."
West Midlands Police last night confirmed that they were aware of Sunday's
gathering. A spokeswoman said: "Anyone caught in possession of cannabis
will face the possibility of arrest in accordance with the law."
Don Barnard, a
campaigner with the LCA, said the organisation had to create controversy in
order to make an impact on government policy.
"From our point of view we understand that some of our members will be
getting involved on Sunday," he said. "It is not the first such
protest, but this year they are expecting a lot of support. This event is
important in raising awareness of our cause."
Local councillors were quick to condemn the Cannon Hill park picnic.
Coun Martin Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley) said: "I get this every year. They
say they are going to have a mass demonstration, there is a big hullabaloo and
they end up not being able to get out of bed."
Coun Deidre Alden (Con Edgbaston) said: "I am firmly against legalisation
of cannabis and believe it can lead to the use of harder drugs and cause mental
health problems. A protest like this will not have any impact on the law."
http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/