Lets have an Australia wide march in each capitol city

[lightning]

I agree radic all paths lead up the mountain, we all try, someone succeeds, everyone wins.

[grok]

one law

love dont need no goverment

too true mate...if we all loved,honoured and respected one another we could pretty much do away with all laws, governments and cops

[Rocker]

Remember if you are planning on going to Nimbin this year,take nothing in,take nothing out and take no prisoners,or you will be one.

 

I don't think I'll go then. Martydom never interested me.

[RobbieGanjaSeed]

Radic talks about the radio Nimbin announcing where the drug bus is every day, that's the very thing that I DO so love about Nimbin.

When I lived down that way , I remember the cops busted some poor fella for smoking inthe street, or maybe it was just possesion, but whatever it was, it just didn't happen back then. It happened as a result to one of those stupid cheque book huorno shows, they'd taken a amera to Nimbin and made a big deal about people living life stoned and guess what? Happy! to boot. How dare they? "We all have to be misserable and work and get ulcers, why do they get to live happy and smoke pot all day" that kinda bullshit "news" reporting.

It was probably late int he 80s on this occassion.

 

Back to the fella who was busted. It was so unreal, so unheard of the poor soul was near in shock, and the whole town went out in sympathy for him.

In those days, the cops in the whole area (excpt detectives from Byron Bay. I can't think of their names, they were right bastards), but the smaller towns had a great system going withthe locals and the police. The town I lived in had about 800 people, and one day shortly after I moved in, the local copper stops me for a chit chat in the street and basically just says that it's a quiet town, many people have come to retire there, and there's no real crime to speak of. The upshot of the conversation was that so long as there's no noise, break ins, car thefts ect, they won't bust ya for pot. It wasn't point blank like that, but that was the unspoken rule in the towns there in my expereince. It was proven by the way a cop walked into a humpy I lived in one morning with a warrant for someone he was sent to find. He dropped in on us to ask if we knew who this person was, where he might be found ...the bong was on the table as we all were eating out morning weeties. he looked away, the bong was placed on the floor next to the table and he continued the converstaion as if nothing had happened.

 

We all smoked inthe pubs, openly. The local cops would be in for an evening drink, and no-one was EVER troubled.

 

then channel 9 found out, and the pressure was put on the cops. They (ch () interviewed the mayor of Byron Bay , trying to extract some comment of detraction for the local drug addicts , dol bludgers, whatever they want to call us back then.

the Mayor to his credit told the "news" that if they chased everyone out of town that smoked grass, or was on social securty, every business in the nth rivers district would go broke overnight. they tried to get the mayor to then say he approved of the goings on, which he wouldn't. he simply said "this is the way it is, nothing more and nothing less".

 

Anyway, what happened in Nimbin was the worst, and the best.

There were two cops in Nimbin at that time, maybe three. the NSw gov overnight increased the number of cops and started to come down on drugs being rather open in the streets. I dont know if you can still buy cookies from the footpath these days, and small seedling planst from time to time, but this is the kinda thing they came down on. They also started to go on soties into the bush and look for easy to find grows near roadsides.

 

I know this is all long but this is the "punch line". As radio Nimbin these days apparently informs everyone where the drug bus is, back then a loose band of people annoyed at the way the peace between smokers and the establishment had been shattered got together at the pub for a meeting. They formed their own surveielance groups, and instead of copping it inthe face and hiding from the pressure of the police, they began to follow the cops. Every time the cops went out for a patrol, they were followed, and where the cops went, where they stopped inthe bush and poked around all was written on the board (in the pub I think).It'd go something like ..

9am, police searched paddock on back road near such and such's place. if you have plants in this area, be careful. 10 am, a plain clothes police officer attempted to buy some gras in the street opposite the park today, he was wearing..bla bla bla..be careful.

The police have anew unmarked car travelling up from ismore, the regstration number is XXX XXX or whatever.

 

These were the days I loved what Nimbin stood for. they refused to run and hide when the "news" groups saw an easy report to stir up the mr and mrs jones in suburbia. They put pressure on the cops to "clean it up", and instea dof bowing to the pressure, they brought their ownto bare.

 

every morning a group routinely volunteered to chain themselves to the helicopter in Lismore to stop arial searches for grass.

 

There was excitement , and it was brave, even fun.

 

I know they go over the top, it's becuase people who are facing off against the cops need to be creative. They neeed to not care what happens to them, and as a result I fear sometimes people grandstand to be one up on whathappened last week or whatever. Or maybe it's not grandstanding, maybe they are just in possesion of very colourful imaginations? I dunno.

 

But they beat the cops in Nimbin. Sure it's not lie it used to be 9although I havent been there for yonks), but if theyhad folded, to the pressure the cops and channel 9 etc would have seen that whole distrcrict "cleaned up".

 

One day a freind of mine spun out with paranoia. he was going through some rough times and was pushing his luck a bit withthe law. He became convinced the police were watchinghim, that they were goig to bust him. He marched intot he police station withhis bong and a bag of buds, and said "common I**an, lets get this over with and arrest me, the waiting is killing me". I**an (the cop) told him to go home and stop being so silly. Told him if he didnt take his gear and fuck off, he WOULD have to bust him, and he didn't want he trouble.

 

As crazy as people around that whole distrcit can appear, can behave and so on...how many towns in this country had that kind of repore withthe police and that kind of freedom to smoke grass? Anothermate was sent home after being arrested for planting out 100 seedlings. The cop sent him home to get rid of his sclaaes before detective Muso from Byron arived to go through his house.

 

I dont know what thescene is like now days, I've been away a long trime. but it was the in ya face crazy antics that allowed such a life to flourish.

 

Maybe it's not so bad after all?

 

cheers

rob

[mullray]

It sounds awesome. The seventies were a bit like that in some places also but to have an entire community of peace loving free minded people is great. Nowadays they've moved loads of cops in and got surveillance cameras plus ice has moved in and before that heroin. Correct me if I'm wrong but these are the facts as I know them (based mostly on news and these boards)

 

Thanks Robbie that was a cool story and we definitely need more positive stuff like this.

[pipeman]

there are two types of people, those who front up, and those who make excuses.

 

Its not hard to figure out who is more responsible for the lack of law reform in this country.

 

 

[Indycar]

Nimbin Mardi Grass uses Law Reform as a front. Was that way back in 93-94 'n i doubt very much has changed.

 

If it was ridgy didge, i'd throw my full support behind it. But they've got a different agenda.

 

Until something decent comes along that is fair dinkem about law reform, i'll give it a miss...

 

Knock yaselves out with the Nimbin angle. Just don't come cryin' to me when they fuck up our real chance at law reform.

 

[mullray]

there are two types of people, those who front up, and those who make excuses.

 

Its not hard to figure out who is more responsible for the lack of law reform in this country.

 

 

That'd be the government wouldn't it??

 

Look, you really don't think that Nimbin - a self perceived state within a state - has any real impact on cannabis law reform do you?

 

Let's look at the facts here as they stand today:

 

1) The mj legalisation movement has lost massive ground in the past decade and particularly the past 5 years.

2) Cannabis is now being widely portrayed as a hard drug that should be treated in the same light as other plant based narcotics such as heroin and cocaine. It may surprise you to know that the average person in the community learns about illegal drugs through the newspapers. For the most part people believe what is said - the tide has turned. You now have a discourse around cannabis which is very different to ten years ago. It is a very addictive hard drug that is responsible for inordinate amounts of mental illness in the community. It isn't the same drug as was in the sixties and seventies - there is a new and deadly strain called skunk etc??

3) This type of discourse will probably remain the norm

4) The authorities (research, governments, police etc) have become far more sophisticated in their moves to undermine the mj movement - what worked in the sixties and seventies simply will not work today in bringing about social change with regards to mj

 

Pipeman, have a great time at Nimbin but don't think it will change a single thing. I'm prepared to front up to working to change the discourse - not to reinforce it through stunts and marching down the streets of Nimbin. They're preaching to the converted - now how do you convert the other 19.9 million?

 

Have a great time at Nimbin. It will be fun I'm sure.

[pipeman]

I just wonder why it is so important to some people to continually argue that Nimbin does no good?

 

I'm going because its a great atmosphere and the only cannabis law reform rally in Australia, and it does get news coverage.

 

I hope in the future there will be other protest events that I will be able to attend as well, but atm, there aren't. Thats what this thread should be about.

[Radic]

OT

 

Nimbin Rulez

at least for me

hehe

yes is true

we do all dat, and more,

every year for the past 30odd yrs

we locked the cops in their own lock up and partied for 2 days once

we had some wicked actions and some backfired pon we

burnt the old chop shop to the ground 1year that was a big mistake they built a brick 1

is a live and learn situation

each year we are dealing with different cops. currently they change dem every 3mths

cause if they dont within 6mths they 1 most see the light, quit the force and join we community

or 2 have a nervice breakdown

or 3 become even more corrupt

 

Nimbin Cop workShop

 

 

the element of 1upmanship is a competition thing in a light hearted local exchange

as

each year is like streching the limits 1 likkle bit further

dem push we

we push back

BTW

Nimbin village population is only 400 strong

babylons latest responce is have 8 cops stationed at the local Nimbin cop shop in a feeble attempt to intimidate we

huh????

i said to a cop

we never see them in town

what are youz doing????

he replied

well we dont get any complains from Nimbin

but we still get plenty of complaints

from all the surrounding towns and villages

so we get called out to help at other towns.

 

well i couldnt stop laughin

i said

but eh is not that funny

nimbin is zoned as a high crime zone

and thats how they can station 8 cops in a village of 400ppl

so dem look at we as a town of 400 criminals

yet real crime is so low that there is very rarley any need for anyone to call the cops

true

if cannabis were legal today Nimbin police station would be a 1 cop country village affair

right?

the cop nodded his head and left........

 

OT

opppps sorry

but

what i mean is truth is our weapon

once ya find one tell dem

give dem what dey want

create a buzz

get excited

make posters, send emails

get every1 you know involved

after all dis is truth and rights

we are marching for

lets link together and support eachothers struggle

get organisez and save the planet

the international action for cannabis law reform is a must

we should all link

even if it our own personal action in our own presonal space

i believe

that day will, some day be remembered like anzack day

with a mark of respect for all of our fallin comraids, victims of the drug war (collatural dammage)

this is our story in the making

be there

or you will have to answer to your grand children when they ask what did you do grandy??????

 

yes i

forward truth and rights

free cannabis