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Human Rights in Ireland
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Legalise Cannabis Ireland March 2008 Video Pictures and Report

category international | rights, freedoms and repression | feature author Wednesday May 14, 2008 01:36author by Legalise Cannabis Irelandauthor email info at legalisecannabis dot ie Report this post to the editors

Politicians told loud and clear – cannabis is a health issue,not a criminal one.

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On The Streets!

Over 1,500 people marched last Saturday demanding that cannabis be legalised in Ireland immediately and that the hypocrisy of cannabis prohibition end in all countries where it is still in place.

On Saturday last, the second annual Legalise Cannabis march was held in Dublin city centre.

The march was one of over 220 held worldwide in protest against the continuing prohibition of cannabis use in these countries.Hundreds of thousands turned out globally to highlight the hypocrisy, a legacy of twentieth centruy ignorance that has sadly persisted into the twenty first.



The march buildup had been taking place for several months with flyers,informational pamphlets,badges,stickers,posters and tshirts produced to create some momentum for the march day but also to promote the campaign beyond the parameters of the march itself.Three awareness gigs were organised and well attended and the stage was set for the march itself.

Hopes for a continuation of the glorious weather faded somewhat on Saturday morning when the drawing of the curtains revealed a gloomy,overcast day with puddles of water evidencing earlier showers.Minds wandered back to the inaugural march in 2007, which suffered in numbers due to the poor weather that day.

However the rain just about held off and by 2.30pm the preparations were laid and final touches made as the crowds assembled at the Garden of Remembrance. More seasoned marchers could not help but have noticed the livley,colourful and energetic nature of the crowd assembled,helped by the tribal rhytms of a samba band. The contrast with the drab banality of the Mayday parade the previous week could not have been starker.

As the crowd increased so did the impatience and apparent nervousness of the attending Gadai. Having previously consulted fully with the Gardai regarding the details of the day,it appeared they had lost their earlier cordiality as threats were made to the organisers to get on with it “or else”. Ignoring this childish power play we completed the safe set-up of the musical instruments on the back of the truck and off we went to an exhuberant roar.

As the crown moved down the hill to the Ambassador Theatre and the top of O'Connell St chants of “Legalise It!” and “Free the Weed!” rippled through the crowd in chorus as well as the funky jam of the band “Fusion Family” and the exotic percussions of the samba troupe.

As the march danced down O'Connell Street the numbers swelled as passers-by, joined in to show their support.By the time it wound its way around to College Green, the numbers were in excess of 1,500. Grafton St shoppers were bemused as the parade noisily passed. Some suspended their Saturday consuming in favour of satisying their curiosity as to what it was all about.

And they were to find out soon after as the march had soon reached its (supposed!) destination at the gates of Parliament (almost) on Moleswroth St.Speakers form LCI addressed the crowd from the truck and the speeches were interspersed with pro-legalisation ballads.Special attention was drawn by the speakers to several key issues -

Firstly that cannabis use is a health issue and NOT a criminal one

Secondly that the fight for cannabis legalisation is a struggle for civil liberties.

Thirdly that keeping cannabis illegal is the gateway to harder drugs,NOT cannabis itself.

Fourthly that prohibiton puts the supply of cannabis into unscrupulous hands, leading to low quality,dangerously contaminated product,overpricing and cannabis being a facet of gangland activity.

One speaker pointed out that if you can buy alcohol and tobacco in a safe,regulated environment,then why not cannabis,particularly given the fact that the aforementioned legal drugs have been conclusively proven by innumerable studies to be more harmful to health than cannabis.
The hypocrisy is glaring.

Following a few more ballads the march proper dissipated into smaller groups,one such group heading back towards the Garden of Remembrance along the not so traditional route!This group had as its core element the glorious samba band and by the time it was (re)entering College Green it was several hundred strong and full of life. By the time the author caught up with this autonomous remarch it was camped on O'Connell St next to the spire and was providing a vibrant and unique spectacle for the now-weary Henry St shoppers.The impromptu street party continued for approximately twenty minutes (with no interference from the watching Gardai) and then it made its final journey back to the Garden of Remembrance where people relaxed and enjoyed the first sun of the day with a well deserved spliff. A suitable end to a really fabulous day.

Legalise It Now!!!!

Thanks must be expressed to all who came out on the day,the wonderful samba band and the clouds for holdin in their rain!

Video by: Revolt Video Collective

http://revoltvideo.blogspot.com/

Legalise Cannabis Ireland Links :

E-Mail:

Info@legalisecannabis.ie

MySpace:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.vi...41584

Bebo:

http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=2767879740

Related Link: http://www.legalisecannabis.ie/

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author by Lung Powerpublication date Tue Dec 22, 2009 04:39author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Leaving aside the mood altering effects of cannabis and its implications for learning motivation by students, I would like to say that I disagree with the smoking of cannabis. The weed is mixed with tobacco and then smoked like a cigarette. Thereby people are inhaling quantities of tobacco and running the health risk of carcinogenic fallout in the long term.

author by ibehighpublication date Mon Aug 25, 2008 12:27author address author phone Report this post to the editors

a march once a year will do feck all also i can't understand why labour youth is involved didn't they want a yes to the last treaty??

author by Me - Yes !publication date Fri Aug 22, 2008 20:25author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Fair play , let 'em march and more power to them . Wasn't attending myself but that was personal choice and i suspect many many more feel the same way or had better to do. This sort of thing while heightening awareness to a degree is of little real effect . To change the laws more people need to stop using dealers and sort themselves out . I believe thats the way forward ironic as it may seem and you know what i'm saying.

author by Belaruspublication date Mon Jul 14, 2008 10:45author address author phone Report this post to the editors

BELARUS VID LINK (1 min) - Drug testing the players? - How about Breathalysing the Ref?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7502968.stm

Related Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7502968.stm
author by thcpublication date Mon Jun 30, 2008 03:23author address author phone Report this post to the editors

http://cannabisireland.net/ scroll down the front page and you'll see the benefits of legalization.

Related Link: http://cannabisireland.net/
author by Anti Authoritypublication date Thu May 22, 2008 00:36author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Live your life in fear but know that big brother loves you.

author by Authoritypublication date Wed May 21, 2008 23:39author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The protesters themselves failed to give out any good reasons of legalisation. A samba band marching around the place is only taking up good Garda time. Furthermore those eejits in the parade only made themselves known to Gardaí/the outside world that they smoke (not that it wasn't obvious for most of them). But if they wanted to say-get a job maybe and the employer just happens to come across these photos/remember them from their little parade? Smart idea guys, stick to the dole queue...

author by vivospecialpublication date Sun May 18, 2008 19:39author address author phone Report this post to the editors

where is the true benefit of it legalisation? i dont think that the legaisation of drugs is what is necessary for the advancement of our country, i am as liberal as the next person but i dont think that legalising that which serious;ly messes with our minds is the true way for a socialist ideal, it would be exploited and we would suffer because of that.

author by hydropon johnpublication date Sun May 18, 2008 10:40author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"If they started a Legalise Poteen Making movement would the same campaigners join in?"

Jamesons ,Powers , Old Bushmill shareholders know that poteen i.e. the stuff made in the pot , is legal -all you need is a licence . I'd rather pot than poteen myself .
There are two reasons why they won't decriminalize pot though that I can think of.
1People say that decriminalizion would take the criminals out of dealing which is true ,but then what would these criminals do .Would they go out and get jobs and start to live purposeful lives? No , they would move on to oher areas of criminality ,possibly crimes against property . Couldn't have that.
2 It suits the police to have some reason to arrest innocent people . The state is tolerant towards pot smokers ,so long as they behave themselves in other ways.

author by smokefreepublication date Sun May 18, 2008 07:37author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Yeh, I say from looking at the pics that 1500 is an exaggerated estimate. Looks more like 500. However many, they enjoyed themselves, some seemed to puff the magic dragon while marching with the samba band. I wonder about the relevance of the Legalise Pot campaign to radical social aims in Ireland and elsewhere. Who'll benefit if it's eventually legalised - the working class, the pharmaceutical profession (that might get the govt franchise for selling the weed) or the dropout hippies?

If they started a Legalise Poteen Making movement would the same campaigners join in?

author by Authoritypublication date Fri May 16, 2008 21:08author address author phone Report this post to the editors

No way was there 1500 people protesting, more like close to 300 at best.

author by demonstratorpublication date Fri May 16, 2008 11:57author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Great day, fantastic party atmosphere - full credit to the organisers and the drummers rocked.
But what's with the paranoid electro soundtrack on the video - the samba is cool but the rest seems out of place. Throw on some home grown reggae, Lariman or Erik Noon would be just the job... my opinion anyway.

Legalize!

author by Xpublication date Thu May 15, 2008 11:08author address author phone Report this post to the editors

The best thing I ever saw from this campaign internationally was a crew in Christchurch (NZ) who would stage a presence outside the magistrates court every Monday stating their demands and offering advice and politicisation to those busted over the weekend turning up to their first court appearance.

That's where you might meet other than the middle classes and provide a valuable community service.

author by zinj manpublication date Wed May 14, 2008 06:03author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Long live the onward march of a new Irish civilization!

author by revolt video collectivepublication date Wed May 14, 2008 02:30author address author phone Report this post to the editors

http://politube.org/show/638

Related Link: http://revoltvideo.blogspot.com
author by short term memory losspublication date Wed May 14, 2008 00:25author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Garden of remembrance - classic

author by Legalise Cannabis Irelandpublication date Tue May 13, 2008 23:17author address author phone Report this post to the editors

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