Police raid hippie festival

[Tom]

one of the coppers had a big camera and iam pretty sure he turned it on and filmed me n my mate...why did he do that ?? then one of em gave us a wave then wlkaed off

It's called "intimidation".

 

[nirvana]

Can't say I saw any agro at the mardigrass,To Micheal,Salty,Jab(just a bus driver) and everyone else involved,Well done I greatly enjoyed the event.

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Did they have road blocks on the back roads in? I mean the one in particular that runs up from The Channon and comes out in the middle of town adjacent the pub.

 

They did this (on the Lismore-Nimbin road) years ago too for a while, and even more. I can remeber if you weren't a local (flash cars or QLD plates etc) the cops would pull you over any day of the week driving in or out of Nimbin and go through ya car. They're write down the rego number of ya car aswell, which didn't do the nerves a lot of good.

 

But as for the Madi Grass, there's always plenty of gear on hand to buy, so why risk taking it up that lonley strech where they have you boxed in? Just get something in town on the day.

 

Part of me feels like it's no more than what we all went through in the eighties for a while, but part of me is worried too. Paramilitary style cops? In Australia? I hope this is wrong. Seriously more than anything else that might have happened.

 

I love not just Nimbin, but the whole northern NSW for what it is.

I'm sorry I can't remember who said it first on this thread, but people who moved to Nimbin, and complained upon arrival about drugs (if there are such people) knew what they were getting into when they got there. So that's not even an issue.

 

I do feel for the families that have been born and raised there for generations that are offended, but I think the value of over thirty years of "social experimentation" in that town has really more than made up for the inconvienience. BTW, the families that were born and raised there for generations now have exagerated land values BECAUSE of the way things have played out. So they can sell up and move on better than ever if they hate what's happened.

 

I think the biggest shame that exists in all this is the failure of egg heads and boffins to accurately study the long term affects on a society that grass inflicts.

 

Other lessons learned there could really help the cause of drug law reform aswell, if it was just researched properly.

 

Like the huge climb in use of Heroin through the nineties. obviously evident of what prohibition can do to a society. The cash involved in the artificially inflated value of the prices for pot, being used to support seriously expesive drug habits like heroin point glaringly at prohibition to blame for the cause all round. It caused a mass exodus of Sydney siders to the area to make a living apart from stealing TVs etc... Just another reason why prohibition resulting in price increases attract unwanted aspects of life. Organised crime, and this kind of behaviour.

 

There's loads that can be learned from what has gone on in that environment, and things that seriously effect almost every country in the western culture. But the evidences are just too hot for sociologists to handle truthfully. It's far easier to toe the line, and go along with the boogie man theories, and keep ya job writing sociology as it's "percieved". State sponsored clap trap.

 

Why on earth has the whole district, from the coast to the mountains flourished with tourism, and la de da mock hippies with early retirements? For the very reason the place is as it is. People want it that way.

 

Singling the town out for using speed, weighed against the amount used in the suburb next to mine is a herendous joke, and I'm in Brisbane. I can only imagine what the usage is like in many Sydney suburbs, so I think we can just concede the kids using the stuf are widely scattered throughout the country. Quiet simple, and hardly "Nimbin's" fault for that.

 

Some years ago the mayor of Byron Shire (I realise it's the next shire across) was put "on the spot" by 60 minutes and after showing all kinds of stupid answers to questions given by people just stoned and trying to enjoy the beach. The questions were designed by the film crew to corner the kids they asked, and they singled out the most confronting of everyone there to ask; things they knew would enflame the community.

So they asked the mayor if he "approved" of all these people, 80 or 90 something % on welfare doing nothing but hanging around and taking drugs.

 

The Mayor was dead straight, and told the crew he didn't entertain any moralistic views, but the reality is that if they chased them all away, every business in Byron shire would collapse. The same can be said for many of the townships, real estate prices etc throughout the entire region.

 

The self righteous portion of our societies want it all. They want it black, and they want it white. They want to not pay us decent wages, but they want high rents and mortgages. They want an image in nth. NSW to inflate the tourism and real estate, but they don't want anyone smoking pot...

 

it's getting so ya can't move left or right without a barrier these days.

 

cheers

rob

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Did they have road blocks on the back roads in? I mean the one in particular that runs up from The Channon and comes out in the middle of town adjacent the pub.

 

They did this (on the Lismore-Nimbin road) years ago too for a while, and even more. I can remeber if you weren't a local (flash cars or QLD plates etc) the cops would pull you over any day of the week driving in or out of Nimbin and go through ya car. They're write down the rego number of ya car aswell, which didn't do the nerves a lot of good.

 

But as for the Madi Grass, there's always plenty of gear on hand to buy, so why risk taking it up that lonley strech where they have you boxed in? Just get something in town on the day.

 

Part of me feels like it's no more than what we all went through in the eighties for a while, but part of me is worried too. Paramilitary style cops? In Australia? I hope this is wrong. Seriously more than anything else that might have happened.

 

I love not just Nimbin, but the whole northern NSW for what it is.

I'm sorry I can't remember who said it first on this thread, but people who moved to Nimbin, and complained upon arrival about drugs (if there are such people) knew what they were getting into when they got there. So that's not even an issue.

 

I do feel for the families that have been born and raised there for generations that are offended, but I think the value of over thirty years of "social experimentation" in that town has really more than made up for the inconvienience. BTW, the families that were born and raised there for generations now have exagerated land values BECAUSE of the way things have played out. So they can sell up and move on better than ever if they hate what's happened.

 

I think the biggest shame that exists in all this is the failure of egg heads and boffins to accurately study the long term affects on a society that grass inflicts.

 

Other lessons learned there could really help the cause of drug law reform aswell, if it was just researched properly.

 

Like the huge climb in use of Heroin through the nineties. obviously evident of what prohibition can do to a society. The cash involved in the artificially inflated value of the prices for pot, being used to support seriously expesive drug habits like heroin point glaringly at prohibition to blame for the cause all round. It caused a mass exodus of Sydney siders to the area to make a living apart from stealing TVs etc... Just another reason why prohibition resulting in price increases attract unwanted aspects of life. Organised crime, and this kind of behaviour.

 

There's loads that can be learned from what has gone on in that environment, and things that seriously effect almost every country in the western culture. But the evidences are just too hot for sociologists to handle truthfully. It's far easier to toe the line, and go along with the boogie man theories, and keep ya job writing sociology as it's "percieved". State sponsored clap trap.

 

Why on earth has the whole district, from the coast to the mountains flourished with tourism, and la de da mock hippies with early retirements? For the very reason the place is as it is. People want it that way.

 

Singling the town out for using speed, weighed against the amount used in the suburb next to mine is a herendous joke, and I'm in Brisbane. I can only imagine what the usage is like in many Sydney suburbs, so I think we can just concede the kids using the stuf are widely scattered throughout the country. Quiet simple, and hardly "Nimbin's" fault for that.

 

Some years ago the mayor of Byron Shire (I realise it's the next shire across) was put "on the spot" by 60 minutes and after showing all kinds of stupid answers to questions given by people just stoned and trying to enjoy the beach. The questions were designed by the film crew to corner the kids they asked, and they singled out the most confronting of everyone there to ask; things they knew would enflame the community.

So they asked the mayor if he "approved" of all these people, 80 or 90 something % on welfare doing nothing but hanging around and taking drugs.

 

The Mayor was dead straight, and told the crew he didn't entertain any moralistic views, but the reality is that if they chased them all away, every business in Byron shire would collapse. The same can be said for many of the townships, real estate prices etc throughout the entire region.

 

The self righteous portion of our societies want it all. They want it black, and they want it white. They want to not pay us decent wages, but they want high rents and mortgages. They want an image in nth. NSW to inflate the tourism and real estate, but they don't want anyone smoking pot...

 

it's getting so ya can't move left or right without a barrier these days.

 

cheers

rob

[AndyAmine]

Its was pretty quiet this year compared to some others and there was a funny edgy vibe around while groups of 5 or 6 gun toating blue overalled, leather gloved cops walked around with thier female counter parts on horse but they really didnt do anything much more than usual other than added intimidation. Something they are good at being the same group the dealt with the Cronulla and Red-Fern riots.

 

Something I kept hearing over and over was that the festival permits/licences have to be redone for the next mardigrass so the police were trying to create some kind of 'situation' as a result of political motivations to stop the festival all together. jst Nimbin paranoia?

 

The only major police blockaid was at Uki and a smaller one comming into town from the same direction on Friday and Sat morning but I managed to avoid it both ways due to some back routes Im aware of so it was nice to see it wasnt the extreme police crack down everyone was stressing about.

 

I got to listen to a great talk/open forum on the drug laws in N.S.W and I had a chance to ask a couple of questions of my own.

I though I would take the oppurtunity to get a definition of Hydroponic was and the lawyer who was running the talks replied that because the new hydro laws havent been passed through yet the definition hasnt been passed yet either. both will come through at the same time.

 

Its amazing how many people openly admit to growing and other illegal acts in those open forums, the whole thing was being recorded and no doubt there were UC's in the audiance.

 

There was a lot of AV recording going on by the cops, jst standing there slowly panning the crowds to look at later for persons of interest no doubt.

 

I saw the stand off when the cops ripped down the banner which was apparently blocking the cammera looking towards the infamous ally way but all went down peacfully in the end.

 

(Cross posted from S.A.B forums and edited for clarity and to add some bits)

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Yeah that was what I thought, there's a couple back roads in, and so if they left them open it was just a political event. Still; Howards releasing 20 million to battle pot exclusively. Madness, who knows what could happen next. Could blow over like it has before, and could go "a la america".

 

I'm just reminded of a rave in America on private property (some-one's farm). Milita type cops (for all intents and purposes they were army) landed in the middle of the gig in helicpters, with squads of these fools repelling out of the choppers like "Black Hawk Down" style of thing.

 

They slipped into the kids dancing, and beat them in front of plenty of cameras, before the cops seized all the cameras. Some footage got out though. I think I might have posted a link her at the time?

 

The purpose for all this? They justified it by saying one of the permits wasn't in order.

 

We have to watch we don't go down that path, somehow?

 

rob

[nirvana]

420 time at the hemp bar

[nirvana]

Say High to bob everybody,He is wearing one of our Nirvana cap's he won,for his joint rolling attempt.

From what I hear bob is a well known local.

[Guest SOMEONE]

the whole event is changed too much

i thought id never say this

but

my wife and i have been attending this festival for years

sadly we no longer want to attend

it has changed too much

last year no clones no seeds

1 plant to view

 

s

[Freeman-DC-]

Hi all, Well Nimbin Where do we start... I was there for two days staying in my blue motor home whilst also running a market stall, as for police there wasn't really Raid, it was more a reminder that what goes in nimbin stays in nimbin. We sat on the roof of our bus to watch peace park and for the majority Toked up on the Roof with people walking past in full view no probs , We had it down packed cause we knew the local named " noel " who had a CB radio, working for the green shirt people, whatever their names where, so he was on to where the cops where, and whenever a group ( of 6 ) would come down everyone would yell " taxi " and anything was stashed...

Coppa's were expecting a riot, but that would have been a serious blow to the hippie comunity because " evil Pot smokers turn violent " would not look good, had a funny one and got questioned by the Dogs when peace park was full and an old mate talking about how bad the coppa's were, a young lad was getting searched by em, and the speaker must have been told and said " someones getting done right now " , being on top of my bus in full view of everyone we quiclky jumped up and started shouting over 'ere and pointing, the crowd boo and hissed big time, nothing serious but after being question by some cop about 5 minuites later he explained if a riot had of started we would have been up for affray and inciting violence etc...

Bullshit scare tacticts in other words, and that was all they were doing....

Either way i thankyou for those that came, it was a great day and a step forward in the march towards a free weed world !!!!..