May Day 1999 - International Cannabis Coalition - London, UK

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No Victim - No Crime - May 1st '99

London, UK 

Celebration of Cannabis March and Festival

The 'Celebration of Cannabis Fair' in full swing.
5.00 PM London Time, Clapham Common, London SW4, May 1st, 1999.

The 'End the Prohibition of Cannabis' march had a good turn out (5000+ according to the BBC) despite nazi bomb threats, rumors of cancellation, a false bad weather forcaste and several other marches on the same day. The march went from Brixton via Stockwell to Clapham Common where a 'Celebration of Cannabis Fair' went on until 8.30pm. There were no arrests.

Cannabis On the Menu

Future plans announced in afterglow of 'Celebration of Cannabis' march & festival

LONDON, May 1st 1999. Hemp bergers and salad sprinkled with lightly ground cannabis seeds, washed down with a cool hemp beer, followed by generous helpings of hemp Ice cream, were on the menu at the 'Celebration of Cannabis Fair' on Clapham Common, London, Saturday, May 1st as thousands of pro cannabis supporters relaxed in the sun after the 'End the Prohibition of Cannabis March'.

The 'Celebration of Cannabis Fair', Clapham Common, May 1st 1999. The Fair was a rich cultural expression celebrating cannabis attended by a wide spectrum of people from all over the UK plus many guests from Europe and elsewhere.

Speakers from all over Britain plus guests from Europe and even Brazil were there to discuss the issues in a huge red white and green marquee while information stalls, cafes and a market were brilliantly organised to cater for their every need - every legal need that is!

We would like to thank the local authorities for their courteous and co-operative assistance in helping us put on this 'Celebration of Cannabis' event and ensuring that it passed off safely and happily.

A spokesperson said " We are advocating a change in the law not breaking the law and would like to thank the local authorities, including the police, for their friendly cooperation in the organisation of this event".

"The festival was a celebration of cannabis and all the good it can do for humanity and the environment; cannabis is an asset not a problem", said a spokesperson for the International Cannabis Coalition.

The Coalition, with supporting events in 31 cities worldwide is calling on Tony Blair's 'New Labour' government to give a 'New Deal' for Cannabis users in Britain whether they be social, medical or industrial.

"The law is being held in disrepute, and over seven million cannabis users are being ignored by politicians at their peril" said a spokesperson.

Thousands of revellers had previously gathered in Rush Common Brixton, at noon to march through Stockwell, to the 'Celebration of Cannabis Fair', on Clapham Common, in full cooperation with the local authorities.

The well stewarded march with loud liberation music held a respectful silence while passing Electric Avenue (the Brixton bomb target) for all the victims of the fascist nail bombs going off in London.

The marches also voted in assembly before they set off to hold major marches and events every year until the prohibition of cannabis is lifted, a unanimous decision telecommunicated to all 31 cities across the world, taking similar action on May 1'st.

"The march to the Celebration of Cannabis fair was a jubilant carnival, without trouble or arrests - said Tim Summers, March Organiser on behalf of the International Cannabis Coalition.

" This Mayday action is part of a cannabis campaign which is going to change the laws on cannabis in Britain, and is part of a truely international moverment which aims to end the prohibition of cannabis worldwide. We hope for the sake of everyone that our aims will be accomplished sooner rather than later." - said a spokesperson for the coalition.

"Cannabis users are people from every walk of life, every strata of society, they do not like being treated as criminals, there are millions of them, and now they are getting organised".

In Britain members of the Coalition are:

• Supporting candidates who call for the end of Cannabis Prohibition' in the upcoming local and European Elections.
  
• Planning an End the Cannabis Prohibition ' Extravaganja' - a march and festival in Luton, Bedfordshire, on July 24th 1999.
  
• Preparing a nationwide 'Free Cannabis Week' in September to mark the anniversary of the prohibition of cannabis on September 28th.
  
  "Free Cannabis Week will be a 'local-goes-national' protest event staged locally by the cannabis action groups that have flowered all over the country" said a spokesperson for the coalition. "It will mark one of the biggest, and most expensive mistakes in British legal history - the prohibition of cannabis."
  Information & Press Line: 0171 637 7467.
• E mail - may 5th 2001
  

• More on May 1st in London:

  Text from Howard Marks speaking at Clapham Common
  Mayday Interview - cannabis questions and answers
  The Bill For Cannabis - Home Office Arrest Figures Released
  CLCIA Mayday report
  Personal Eyewitness account
  ccnews report
  Mayday Message from Scotland
  BBC report
  High Times Report on Mayday in London

• More pictures
  Panorama jpeg (85k)
  March route map
  
• Cannabis Coalition in Britain (full contact details where available)
  
  Full List of Coalition Supporters worldwide (including links where available).
  Press Release March 22th 1999
  New Deal for Cannabis
  Historic fax: Cannabis seeds are of medical value say HM Customs.
  
• Unjust Law; some evidence
  Paul Flynn MP's website "30% of all medicines given to children in hospital are unlicenced ... Cannabis is less toxic than apirin ..." - Paul Flynn MP.
  
• Ganja-graphic fun: Quicktime Panorama of Clapham Common on Mayday (380k)
  - fly, zoom & pan around festival site. Requires: Quicktime 3.0 for Mac or Windows;
  available from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download

At least 10% of the entire population of Europe take cannabis.

More people take cannabis than regularly go to church. God bless them. At least two thirds of all British voters under 25 take cannabis.

There are thousands of British doctors who have no problems prescribing cannabis.

There are thousands of unfortunate souls whose suffering is relieved by cannabis.

There are thousands of British policemen who want to help kids, not bust them.

There are hundreds of British policemen who want to help kids, not bust them.

There are hundreds of British judges who can't bear the ethical conflict they face when sentencing cannabis users. There are millions of British parents who can no longer stand their kids being criminalised, stigmatised, and ruined for life.

There are millions of kids who wished they didn't have to lie.

A pity this government doesn't feel the same.

This government callously allows youth to be alienated, poisoned, imprisoned, and ruined. This government stupidly forces itself to lie and arrogantly disapproves of the recreational pursuits of millions of really good people. This government has deaf ears, blind eyes, an unthinking brain, and an unfeeling heart. This government is offensive.

What does this government suggest?

What new wonderful initiatives, innovations, and wisdom does it care to bestow?

Prohibition and zero tolerance.

Howard Marks, Clapham Common, May 1st 1999.

More on May 1st in London:

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  CLCIA REPORT:

  As the CLCIA coach from Norwich was approaching Brixton Road, we were held up in the line of traffic caused by the 'Mayday is Jay Day' march.

  The march had already started and we watched thousands walk past while we waited to get out of the coach and get our flags and banners flying with the many others.

  Once out of the coach we walked to catch up with the end of the march which we realised was massive.

  With high spirits we marched and arrived at Clapham Common to be greeted with an almost unbelievable scene of marquees and stalls and many more thousands of people - by now often sporting 'May Day is Jay Day' stickers.

  The atmosphere was superb throughout the sunny afternoon, and the enthuiasm towards legalisation was heart-warming.

  A dozen or so speaches encouraged various forms of activities to end this prohibition of an innocent plant.

  At the end of a tremendously successful and happy day, having met campaigners from all over Europe, we just look to the next action; we are on the move until the authorities realise they are wrong to prosecute people for a plant.

  CLCIA, 63 Peacock Street, Norwich, NR 3 17B. Phone: (01603 625780)

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  Message from Scotland

  Beltane best wishes to Maydays throughout the world from thousands of cannabis users on Calton Hill, Edinburgh - Midnight to 2am. Some were still arriving as we left to send a message of support to Jay Day and Million Marijuana Marches.

  Legalise Cannabis Campaign Scotland.
  PO Box 12758, Edinburgh, EH8 9YP.
  Phone: 0131 667 6488.
  stuey@...
  http://www.thepulse.co.uk/lcc.scotland

  Spokesperson: Linda Hendry (also Scottish Green Party Drugs spokesperson).

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  London May 1st 1999 - Personal Eye Witness account by Derrek

  I got to Brixton in time for the start. A nice little park off Brixton Hill and there was no-one there apart from a few lonely looking stewards and some fuzz.

  As the time apporached though, people started turning up and the air became scented with a certain herbal aroma. There were a lot of police around and I overheard one telling one of the organisers there had been a bomb threat against us. Even if it was a hoax, the police couldn't take a risk so the route was swept by bomb sqaud apparently.

  It's a strange feeling, filling a pipe in direct line of sight to a policeman. According to the BBC they had threatened to arrest anyone smoking cannabis, but I didn't see much eveidence of that going on, they'd have needed a lot of meat wagons if they'd have tried anyway. No, London was a legal cannabis zone on Saturday, at least Brixton was.

  We made our way off for the "short march", which turned out to be quite a long one. The streets were full of people, a smaller march than last years Indy demo, but massive anyway. Its important to realise this was done without the involvement of any mainstream media, just word of mouth, fliers and a few posters. Dare I say, this was that "underground" thing?

  As we passed the site of the Brixton bomb, the march fell silent and this seemed to stick with us for a bit, but the spirits came back and a party mood developed. Along the route, people took a break to skin up, at one point outside a supermarket amid saturday shoppers, some of whom looked a little bemused. As cars passed going the other way, many were sounding their horns. Drums were played, people danced and a sound system pumped out music from a top floor flat. It was party time when we arrived on the Common. Sadly, the local council had decided we couldn't have music - what is wrong with these fools? A sound system turned up anyway and was planning to keep going untill forced to close down by the police, but it didn't in the end.

  I left the Common around 8.30 and made my way eventually to the HEADFUK after party, which was the place to be on Saturday night in London. The Dungeons is a wicked venue, my fave room being the "Schtonker" (if thats how its spelt) room, an arch under a rail line I'd guess, with a pumping sound system playing hard as fuck techno. I'm happy with that sort of set-up, trust me, thats all I need. Well, nearly. Everything else was there as well.

  Anyway, maximum respect to Nick and the HEADFUK collective for a kicking night which rounded off a perfect day and a big shout to all those people who worked so hard to make it so perfect.

  Was it worth it? Yeah, I think so. We have a real legalisation movement now, one which can bring thousands of people on to the street to demand an end to this nasty little drug war without the help of any mainstream med