Link here for info. on the 2002 4/20 celebration: the Million Marijuana March
http://www.cures-not-wars.org
http://www.worldcamp.org
http://www.hemp.on.net
http://www.legalize.org
http://nl.legalize.net
http://www.worldcamp.org
http://www.norml.org.nz
http://www.m5coalition.org
click on this site to see a "We Can Do It" poster
http://www.legalizace.cz
http://www.uvm.edu/~rmelamed/
http://www.pot-party.com
http://www.alcp.org.nz
http://www.timesoft.com/ncnorml
http://www.commonlink.com/~olsen/
http://mojo.calyx.net/~olsen/
http://www.geocities.com/legalizemichigan/
http://www.gesellschaftsprobleme.de
http://www.norml.org.nz
http://www.thc-ministry.org
http://www.sky.org
http://www.BartlettRidge.com
http://www.cultural-baggage.com
http://members.tripod.com/members/
http://taylor1.virtualave.net
http://mjmarch.webhop.org/
http://www.cures-not-wars.micronpcweb.com
http://www.geocities.com/legalizemichigan
http://www.schmoo.co.uk/may2001.htm
http://www.ramabahama.net
http://www.hemp.rox.com
http://www.nimbinaustralia.com/mardigrass2001
http://www.x-chat.at>www.x-chat.at
http://www.normal.no/mmm2001.html
http://www.legalizace.cz
http://www.stumpnews.com/raleighmmm
http://www.drugpeace.org/mmm
http://www.potpride.com/mmm/
http://www.mo-norml.org
http://www.geocities.com/forml_2000
http://www.cannabist.org
http://www.CanadaMMM.com
http://www.daweedking.com
http://come.to/MMMTku
http://www.fourthofjuly.org
http://www.worldcamp.org
News from Previous Years
J-Day in New Zealand
http://www.norml.org.nz
http://www.alcp.org.nz
Press Release from NZ, Tuesday, 8 May 2001: MPs "Chicken" Over Cannabis Law Review. Read it at scoop.co.nz or alcp.org.nz
Checkout http://www.alcp.org.nz/mmm.htm for photos of the day . . . (they are coming on stream as I write this . . .) We welcome images and stories from other venues . . . post them to the ALCP cyber forum mailto:forum@alcp.org.nz
Due to rain elsewhere cancelling marches in Auckland/Wellington . . . and threats and duress of "heavy policing" (see Cannabis reform backers warned) a great turnout for a wet and cool Autumn day got well covered on local television and nationally. (see http://www.tv3.co.nz/news/news_info.cfm?news_id=4500&news_category_id=1) Also, we are here too http://surrealist.org/prayforpeace/links3.html [this page]
Cheers,
Blair Anderson
Subject: Re: MMM Links
Date: Wed, 2 May 2001 10:35:56 EDT
From: Chefjake01@aol.com
To: email
Hi Nori....... The 2001 The Space Odyssey is being held at "Ives Dairy Optimist Festival Grounds" 1511 NE 207th St. North Miami Beach. Three Blocks west of 95 off Ives Dairy rd is 15th turn right and your there. There will be camping starting Fri May 4 with live music and May 5, sat kicks off the rally. Also live Music all day sat and sat night with Liquid Light Show at Midnight and Drum circles till whenever... There will also be vendors and Food. Some bring the Fam and Friends. For more info here are Links and URL's .. thanks Jake
Cures not Wars.org http://cures-not-wars.org/
Festival Tribe http://www.festivaltribe.com/
Bonjour a Toutes et Tous,
Ce matin, Mercredi 2 mai, je m'en allais guilleret a la prefecture pour y retirer l'autorisation de manifester le 5 mai. Convoque vendredi par telephone, j'avais encore une fois eu confirmation que le "rassemblement statique a la Place de la Bastille, a l'angle du Boulevard Richard Lenoir ne fait pas l'affaire d'une procedure d'interdiction". Ce matin, je dechante : "Il n'y a pas lieu a autoriser un rassemblement dont le motif est illegal... qui plus est, vous demandez le bloccage de la Place de Bastille : pensez-vous a la liberte de circuler des gens ?" et pourtant je lis sur la fiche accompagnant ma demande "OK pour autorisation rassemblement statique". J'insiste en declinant toute responsabilite sur les problemes qui pourraient survenir ce jour la, que je ne pourrai pas intervenir pour stopper le rassemblement... etc et que les forces de police risquent en intervenant de creer d'autres problemes... Rien n'y fait, nada, pas de reaction. La Direction de l'Ordre public et de la securite civile est face aux contradictions de la loi...
Je suis sur le cul: La republique francaise fondee sur la Declaration universelle de droits de l'Homme bafoue une fois de plus ses principes fondateurs; La place de la Bastille sera donc prise d'assaut sans autorisation avec la juste legitimite des citoyens et citoyennes pour faire entendre leurs voix contre le regne de l'hypocrisie et du mensonge. J'envois illico une lettre a Messieurs Kouchner, Vaillant, Jospin et Chirac et Mesdames Guigou, Buffet, Voynet, Royal pour les avertir et leurs demander leur soutien, au pire leur sentiment sur la question. Donc la prefecture n'autorisant que le rassemblement statique (de fait sans autorisation), la premiere edition de la Marche mondiale contre la Guerre a la drogue sera a Paris a l'image de la politique francaise : restons sur place. Cependant, les manifestants francais auront des raisons pour trepigner : Des 15h place de la Bastille, des Dj se succederont sur un camion podium et tous les styles musicaux se feront entendre, y compris le plus beau de tous les spectacles : le spectacle de rue avec ses cracheurs de feux, ses jongleurs, ses Batucada...
Aussi, Michka et Jean Pierre Galland (celebres ecrivains cannabinophiles) viendront faire part de leurs initiatives. SCOOP qui n'en est plus un : Jean Pierre vient d'etre a nouveau condamner a 100 jours amendes a 300 FFR, mais vous en saurez plus le 5 mai.
Il y aura des stands avec de la lecture, d'autres avec les produits de Chanvre et compagnie...
Pour l'organisation, je recherche encore le SO qui veille au bon deroulement de la manifestation. Je rappelle, le rendez-vous pour distribution de tracts, collage affiches et reperage en tous genres : Jeudi 3 mai 2001 a 22h Place de la Bastille.
Merci pour votre soutien a la diffusion de l'information et de votre participation. Salutations cordiales. FARId
MMM details for RICHMOND, VA
CONTACT: richmondreefer@hotmail.com or Roy, (804) 355-7612
DATE: SAT 5 MAY 2001
GIMMICK: We'll be giving away FREE Cannabis seed and FREE hemp!
PLACE: Monroe Park, Belvedere & Main
====================== email invitation follows ======================
Dear People:
On May the fifth, in about 150 cities across the world, citizens will march to support an end to the War on Marijuana Users. Richmond is one of those cities, and YOU are invited. Come and help us make the world a better place!
If I have to explain why this march is needed, then you probably shouldn't be on this mailing list. You're welcome to email me, though, and I'll explain what the problem is that we're working on solving.
We will have representatives from, and/or members of:
Democratic Party
Drug Enforcement Agency
Drug Policy Foundation
Drug Resource Coordination Network
Families Against Mandatory Minimums
Libertarian Party
Lindesmith Center
Nat'l Organization for Reform of Marijauna Laws
November Coalition
Republican Party
Richmond Police
Space Odyssey 2001
Virginia State Police
Virginians Against Drug Violence
Youth International Party (YIPPIE!)
. . . and others too numerous to list . . . (Not all of these people will be speaking. Some, in fact, may be lurking!)
Here's a very rough outline of the scheduled events -- as always, subject to revision by reality in the event.
2:00 pm: ASSEMBLE at Monroe Park (Belvedere & Main). People will talk.
3:30 pm: MARCH down Franklin Street to Capitol Square. More people will talk.
4:20 pm: Distribute FREE _Cannabis_sativa_ seeds and FREE hemp. More people will talk.
Later: We'll all leave.
SPEAKERS will include the usual suspects, and the Libertarian Party candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Gary Reams. You should already be aware that drug law reform is one basis of the Libertarian Party platform; Gary is concentrating on that aspect. Since our General Assembly has not seen fit to trust the voters with the power of the legislative initiative, Gary asks us to treat his candidacy as a referendum on the drug laws -- sorry, that's a "reEferendum"!
Unless some people bring kazoos and such, we won't have music -- but we can lift up our voices in a joyful noise nonetheless.
Important note about the march: this is a march, it is not civil disobedience. (For that, attend the annual 4th of July Smoke-In in DC.) We expect all attendees to have the same respect for the law that we, the organizers, have: FIRST, DO NO HARM, and second, NEVER break a law when you may be caught!
The 2001 Space Oddysey / The MILLION MARIJUANA MARCH is being held in about 150 cities worldwide on this coming Saturday May 5th, 2001. This worldwide event originated in New York City four years ago. Then produced by Cures Not Wars, it has grown to include hundreds of pro-marijuana reform organizations from across the globe. This years event will send a message to the highest court in the land. The Supreme Court is scheduled to rule on the validity of the California medical marijuana iniative by June. We want to send a strong message that they must rule on the side of logic and justice and legalize medicinal marijuana.
May 5th has been designated a universal protest day for those who have had enough of this DRUG WAR and the insidious assault on the international cannabis culture. It is time to end the racism and the hypocrisy. It is time for sanity and reason. It is time to come together.
- - Roy B. Scherer
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."
-- Thomas Jefferson
Santa Cruz, California
We are probably officially marching in Santa Cruz on Sunday and will join with San Fran on Solidarity Saturday. Many are also planning to attend Cinco de Milo festivities as many Hispanic are also poisoned by the chemical pesticides in corporate competition with cannabis, as the tree people, whales, water, soil and air groups MUST shed their ego's and job security and embrace the Tree of Life as a renewable alternative to the Korpses Khemical Klans, Kristion Koalition Kooks and STOP the FRCn D.E.A.th lies to perpetuate ignorance and illness with remedies of cages chemcals and coffins.
Many who read my post of cannabis info or rants against the WoD automatically think I need to find Jesus. LOL
I reply that I found him casting hemp fishnets, wearing hemp robes of fine linen and wiping the dust from the sandals of hemp fiber and his friend the Babtist John in hemp burlap called sackcloth. The sails carrying Paul and the Fishers of Men to spread the word were driven by God's wind on hemp sails as were the ropes and rigging. The hemp seed staple and oldest cultivated food crop is also the most nutritiously complete food and rapidly becoming as illegal while babies starve daily. The fuel lighting the lamps also can fuel the boilers and automobiles and trucks without the devestation of fossil fuels and nuclear waste. Or the runnoff death of 270 million tons of chemicals on cotton. Medicinally it is good and I think this represents the true healing powers of cannabis that Jesus would praise as it also is a re-creation of his father. For it was a sacramental burnt offering God ask for, who but the wine makers would think such a jealous God who turns down any blemishes would settle for fermented fruit or distilled or brewed grains? So send me all the Christian propaganda you will but until the hypocrites stop repeating rhymes on the street corners and start getting real about the heathern drug war on some people I have no use for you.
Peace Love and Liberty or FRCn DEAth!
DdC
Marijuana & the Bible
[The King James version has been used herein.]
Link to Chris Conrad's old website...
http://pub3.ezboard.com/fendingcannabisprohibitionstuff.showMessage?topicID=91.topic
RICHMOND VA USA - 5 MAY 2001 -
The Richmond segment of the worldwide rally for marijuana law reform went well, though a variety of competing events and a serious lack of pre-event publicity led to a smaller turnout than we desired.
Initial turnout was less than 100 people, in Monroe Park in central Richmond. By the time the group left for the state Capitol at 3:30, attendance had grown to nearly 150, and peaked at about 200 on the Capitol grounds. Although this was far short of the attendance for which we'd hoped, a large number of the attendees signed up to help make next year's rally more effective.
We heard speakers from various reform groups, each focusing on different facets of abolishing the War on Some Drugs. Co-sponsor Matt Haglund (VCU-LP) and I each spoke for a while. Prominent among other speakers were Richard Ferris from the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia and Jim Turney of the Libertarian Party.
The ACLU has long been a strong opponent of the unfair, racist, and unconstitutional drug laws. Richard has been their legislative liason -- lobbyist -- for several years, and has done excellent work at our General Assembly, having personally killed a number of unconstitutional bills, and made major changes in others.
Jim was standing in for Libertarian candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Gary Reams, who was delayed in traffic after attending a Green Party convention, where he was well received. (The LP is America's third largest political party, and one of its core tenets is that it is both immoral and unconstitutional to outlaw any behavior that neither harms nor endangers others.) His campaign is focused entirely on changing the marijuana laws. Several volunteers took signatures on petitions to qualify Reams and the gubernatorial candidate, Bill Redpath, for the ballot in Virginia.
We also had talks from a number of individuals involved in other facets of the movement, including the November Coalition, which has been sponsoring a vigil at the Richmond City Jail (last Saturday of each month, since October) for victims of the War on Drug Users.
We marched down Franklin Street, just under a mile, to Capitol Square, where early Virginians, marijuana growers Jefferson and Washington, had walked. Along the way, we were honored by the presence of three members of Richmond's Finest, each carrying a member of Richmond's Police force.
[Sorry, I just can't resist a gag, even when it's unworthy! In point of fact, there was no trouble at any time with any of the police officers on the scene; all were eminently professional, and helped to prevent any disruption of traffic. More broadly, at no point during the preparation for the rally did I find any employee at any level of government who was obstructive in any way -- somewhat to my surprise! Each one to whom I talked explained the red tape that had to be dealt with, and then helped me deal with it in the most efficient manner consistent with the political rules by which they're constrained to work. In all honesty, I was impressed. My thanks to all of these public servants.]
At the Capitol, after several speakers, a crowd which was swelled to nearly 200 was waiting for 4:20 pm. Posters for the event had promised distribution of FREE _Cannabis_sativa_ seed. In addition to several Capitol Police officers, by 4:15 there was a phalanx of Richmond City Police, observing the proceedings. I explained that under Virginia and Federal law, the STERILE seeds of the pot plant were not illegal, and that I had purchased five pounds of such seeds, then taken the additional precaution of microwaving them myself. The crowd eagerly gathered to get handfulls of seeds, as the Richmond officers faded away from the scene.
After the event, a large number of the crowd relaxed at a cookout in front of the Franklin Street home of one of our number.
Media coverage was, as usual, less than ideal. I didn't see the 5/6 o'clock news, but several stations were present, and I saw coverage on Local TV channel 12, WWBT (NBC), on their 11 pm news -- pretty good, although they referred to marijuana as a "narcotic". The local daily paper reporter made her count early in the day, before all people had arrived, which was annoying -- but it was covered, which we appreciated and will help to make next year's march bigger. (I've been to too many events, some involving several thousand people, which were totally ignored by the media to gripe seriously about minor inacuracies!)
The daily paper coverage is online at the website below -- I've included the text. The print edition has an excellent photo of the march, which I did not find on the Web.
Local TV channel 8, WRIC (ABC), carried a story on the New York event. The website and text are below.
I was unable to find other local references to the march on the Web (including the WWBT footage that I saw), but I am told that both WTVR-6 (CBS) and WRLH-35 (Fox) covered it.
============LESSONS WE LEARNED=========================
1) Get your volunteers motivated, and KEEP them that way. We had woefully low participation in the vital task of puttin up posters and handbills, which was reflected in the dismal turnout. Many people just plain did not get the word.
2) Start early. Although we had posters and handcard from National months ahead of time, we didn't get fliers with local details ready until two weeks before the event. This was my fault.
3) WAY ahead of the event, develop a list of media, AND a separate list of the "community calendar" departments that almost every print, Net, or broadcast medium has. Get the word to each of these, at least a month in advance, and follow up as the date grows near. Again, this was my fault; I already knew that we should do this.
============MEDIA REPORTS ONLINE=======================
http://www.timesdispatch.com/vametro/MGBL0O04EMC.html
75 people join marijuana march
BY PAIGE AKIN
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
May 06, 2001
Roy Scherer hasn't smoked marijuana in more than a month.
"I took a toke from a joint at a party, but that's about it," said Scherer, wearing a bandanna on his forehead and a pro-marijuana T-shirt. "I enjoy it when I smoke it, but I don't smoke it very often."
Even though he says he's no longer a regular user, Scherer organized yesterday's Million Marijuana March in the hope of making the leafy, green drug legal for generations to come.
About 75 people, including many students from Virginia Commonwealth University, gathered at Monroe Park for the peaceful demonstration. Hacky Sacks and Frisbees flew through the air as the crowd grew.
The march was part of an international effort to legalize marijuana, outlaw mandatory drug testing by employers and end the war on drugs. More than 150 cities worldwide participated. The event started four years ago in New York City.
Scherer spoke briefly at the park, then marched down Franklin Street to the Capitol.
Along the way, the crowd shouted at drivers to "honk if you want to legalize marijuana." Bob Marley songs kept the lively crowd moving. Others sang, "All we are saying is give weed a chance." Several horse-mounted Richmond police officers accompanied them.
Gary Reams, the Libertarian Party candidate for lieutenant governor, was scheduled to speak about drug reform, but he did not make it.
At the Capitol, Scherer passed out free hemp - fiber from the marijuana plant - and five pounds of cannabis seeds, which produce marijuana. But anyone who planned to rush home and plant the tiny seeds was in for a surprise: they were sterile, incapable of germination.
"Just to make sure, I put them in the microwave and zapped them," Scherer said. "It's more of a gimmick to get people out here than anything. You say, 'Free pot seeds,' and they come running."
He said, though, that yesterday's turnout was smaller than he expected. Scherer, a lifelong resident of Richmond, said the city has always had a "parochial" attitude toward drugs.
"I'm not one of these people who want to tear down the monuments on Monument Avenue, but we here have perhaps too much regard for the past," he said. "It's hard to get people here motivated to change things."
That, he said, is the reason most in yesterday's crowd were younger, in their 20s.
"Younger people haven't had a chance to become as cynical as older generations," he said.
Matthew Haglund, 22, a VCU student and freelance advertising agent, agreed. He helped Scherer organize yesterday's pro-marijuana rally.
"We're not telling people we think they should smoke pot," Haglund said. "We just believe people should be allowed to do what they want with their own bodies."
Contact Paige Akin at (804) 743-9052 or pakin@timesdispatch.com
National News
May 6, 2001
Thousands march to protest marijuana laws
New York-AP -- Chanting "We smoke pot and we like it a lot," several thousand people have taken to the streets of New York City.
They marched through lower Manhattan to protest laws criminalizing marijuana use.
An organizer of the "Cures Not Wars 2001" march says the demonstrators want "to turn an alcohol and tobacco world into a marijuana world."
Police lined the parade route during the march.
They reported no apparent signs of people smoking pot at the protest.
Copyright 2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
end
- - Roy B. Scherer
[8 N. Sheppard Street, Richmond, VA 23221; (804) 355-7612]
"Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God."
-- Thomas Jefferson
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