|
Saturday
25th November
Based on a report by CCNews Following
Tuesday's raid on Stockports' Dutch Experience cannabis cafe, customers, patients
and supporters held a meeting at the café Saturday lunchtime. They
then held a peaceful march to the police station, to protest about what they see
as a totally unacceptable and treacherous intervention. The cafe had been tolerated
for two months by the police, who were well aware of its operation. The
police behaviour toward Colin Davies between September 15 and the raid had been
courteous and friendly. Statements by David Blunkett have given cannabis users
hopes that a more tolerant attitude was developing. Their sudden appearance at
the cafe, in full battle mode, was unnecessary and shocking. Outside
the police station, several protesters lit what appeared to be large joints and
offered themselves for arrest. A banner read 'Colin Davies is a Healer, not a
Dealer.' Chris Baldwin, a wheelchair user, was first, Patman, also in a wheelchair,
second. About a dozen others were arrested, on suspicion of possession of a controlled
substance. Police
refused to arrest Nol van Schaik, but after he passed his ostentatious spliff
to another person (a lady who works as a cleaner), she was arrested. |
BBC
Report of the demo
Report of the raid
How it all started
Dutch Experience forum |
Click here
Click here
Click here
Click here |
Please
contact Manchester Police NOW and complain. Ask them why the police mislead everyone
with their statement to the Observer! Phone
0161 872 5050 Manchester Police
0161 856 9728 Stockport Police Station
Write
to: C.
S. I. Hughes
Stockport Police
Leed Street
STOCKPORT
SK1 3
DR E-mail
Infodesk@gmp.police.uk |
Colin
Davies had been arrested when police raided the cafe on Tuesday Police
strongly opposed the granting of bail, so Davies will remain in custody, without
his preferred medication, until appearing in court November 29. A
Stockport police statement before the raid said: "We
recognise there is ongoing debate and research into the medical benefits or otherwise
of cannabis. The police, in appropriate cases, exercise discretion and judgment.'
Colin
has a damaged spine and uses cannabis for pain relief, yet the police bundled
him into the police van (picture) when they arrested him. He is now being held
in Strangeways prison where he is denied his medicine. Colin
is well known as being totally nonviolent, as is the Dutch Experience Coffee shop,
it seems the police have decided that using intimidation is the only way they
can prevent the legalisation of cannabis. Colin
has been transfered onto the hospital wing in strangeways, he has suffered 2 seizures..
He is not being allowed to use cannabis to ease his pain but is to be given morphine
instead. | 
Colin
Davis, founder of the Dutch Experience |
