FEARS over being arrested prevented many people turning up to a protest against cannabis laws in Redditch town centre, according to the organiser.
Although hundreds of people did turn up, organiser Pinky Starr, from the Protest London organisation, said the crowd would have been much larger but people feared they could be arrested — despite it being a legal protest.
The campaigners were protesting because they want to see cannabis legalised and are angry that the Home Secretary and Redditch MP Jacqui Smith, ignored advice given to her by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), after most of its members said cannabis should remain as a Class C drug and not be upgraded.
Pinky and members of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) also claim they have contacted Ms Smith via email and a recorded delivery letter to request a meeting and invite her to the protest but she has not responded.
But a spokesman for the MP said although Pinky and the LCA may have written to her at the Home Office, nothing had been received from them in the Redditch office.
Pinky said: "Many people were too scared to turn up despite this being a legal protest that Redditch police had full knowledge of.
"But thousands of passing locals showed their support and that's the main thing."
Protestors also posed in t-shirts reading: "How do you like it when you turn our backs on you Jacqui Smith? Just like you did with the ACMD."
Pinky added: "We'll be back if needed but a march will be next and that will mean road closures.
"People did come and go all day, we made the point needed and we have proved that when someones like Jacqui Smith goes quiet and tries to ignores the problem until it goes away, we will never go away."
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Redditch Advertiser
Author: Helen Clarke
Contact: Redditch Advertiser
Copyright: 2008 Newsquest Media Group
Website: Arrest Fears Over Cannabis Protest
Although hundreds of people did turn up, organiser Pinky Starr, from the Protest London organisation, said the crowd would have been much larger but people feared they could be arrested — despite it being a legal protest.
The campaigners were protesting because they want to see cannabis legalised and are angry that the Home Secretary and Redditch MP Jacqui Smith, ignored advice given to her by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), after most of its members said cannabis should remain as a Class C drug and not be upgraded.
Pinky and members of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) also claim they have contacted Ms Smith via email and a recorded delivery letter to request a meeting and invite her to the protest but she has not responded.
But a spokesman for the MP said although Pinky and the LCA may have written to her at the Home Office, nothing had been received from them in the Redditch office.
Pinky said: "Many people were too scared to turn up despite this being a legal protest that Redditch police had full knowledge of.
"But thousands of passing locals showed their support and that's the main thing."
Protestors also posed in t-shirts reading: "How do you like it when you turn our backs on you Jacqui Smith? Just like you did with the ACMD."
Pinky added: "We'll be back if needed but a march will be next and that will mean road closures.
"People did come and go all day, we made the point needed and we have proved that when someones like Jacqui Smith goes quiet and tries to ignores the problem until it goes away, we will never go away."
News Hawk- Ganjarden 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Redditch Advertiser
Author: Helen Clarke
Contact: Redditch Advertiser
Copyright: 2008 Newsquest Media Group
Website: Arrest Fears Over Cannabis Protest
