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You
are in Activism / Coffeeshops
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The
Dutch Experience campaign
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Britains
first Amsterdam style coffee shop opened on the 15th September 2001
in Stockport, Manchester. The police shut it down, but it re-opened
later that day. Read the story of the opening day - click here
The
shop carried on for a couple of months and proved to be a very popular
venue in the local community and indeed began to attract a lot of
press interest.
Colin
Davies, the owner, was arrested and held in detention without trial
for seven months on remand. Read the announcment of his release
here from Nol van Schaik, Co-founder of the Dutch Experience. Click
here
For the Dutch Experience website, Click here
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The
Bust
The
Dutch Experience was raided in late November, a totally unexpect
development given the relaxed and tolerant attitude of the
police up till then. Read UKCIA's report - click here.
As
a result of this raid Colin Davies the owner is being held
in Strangeways prison (in the hospital wing) and he needs
your help, for some ideas of what you can do, click here
As
the year drew to an end, the protests in support of the Dutch
Experience began to grow. Two MEP's "turned themselves
in" by admitting to the possession of a symbolic amount
of cannabis, coach tours were arranged and support groups
held demos. At the start of 2002 the protests continued with
a third MEP presenting himself for arrest, only to be turned
away by the police. 29th January saw the first in the series
of court trials and the C! day demo.
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Mystery
tour on the Cannabus!
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On
Saturday 22nd December, the.magical mystery Cannabus took
to the streets of Manchester. Continuing the campaign to
free Colin Davis from his incarceration in Strangeways prison,
a group of activists made a roundabout trip from Colin's
home area to the heart of Manchester Piccadilly. Complete
with on-board sound system and 5000 leaflets, the bus brought
the injustice to the attention of the public in style! |
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Friday
21st December
Stockport police have confirmed that a second MEP has been
arrested whilst making a protest in support of Colin Davies,
the owner of the "Dutch Experience", Britain's first
cannabis coffeeshop in Stockport.
Marco
Capatto was charged with possession of a tiny amount of cannabis
on a postage stamp, he refused bail and was held overnight
to appear in magistrates court today (Friday 21st)
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He
has now accepted bail form the magistrates and will return toward
the end of January.
In
a separate development, Chris Davies, the Lib Dem MEP for
the North West has opted for a jury trial. He was charged
with possession of a tiny amount of cannabis in a symbolic
demonstration in support of Colin on Saturday 15th December.
We
have also heard that Colin Davies is being held in custody
and will not appear in court until February at the earliest.
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Protests
are becoming a weekly event with a constant stream of
people offering themselves for arrest.
More
information will follow as we get it. Thanks to Experiencewm
- click
here
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BBC
News Online report
- click here
Chris Davies news release
- click here
Chris Davies's press release pre demo
- click here
Chris Davies arrest 15th December
- Click here
Libdem cannabis policy
- click here
Italian MEP's press release
- Click here |
Chris
Davies MEP being arrested |
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On
Sunday 16th December about 20 supporters of Colin
held a vigil outside Strangeways prison to wish
Colin a happy Christmas.
They've
collected signatures on a Christmas card which was sent
by registered post later that day.
More
vigils are planned in support of Colin.
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This
was sent to UKCIA
Colins'
Chrstmas card
Just
to let everyone know we collected
well over 100 signatures on the
roundrobin Xmas card for Colin Davies
here in Manchester - and with those
friends I've heard from who are taking
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it round their workplaces and sending it on
direct to Colin @ Strangeways, it's probably
nearer 200 now.
People
who signed include teaching and non-teaching staff
at my partner's school in Stretford, local social
services team, hospital workers, town hall workers,
and most people at two xmas socials, one for refugees/asylum
seekers, the other our local anti-war group. There's
such goodwill out there !
All the best, Penny
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Stockport
police back down and refuse to charge MEP
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Dutch
Experience Press release
- Click here
Ananova
report on the day
- Click here
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Monday
28th January 2002
MEP Marco Pannella
The
Stockport police seem uncertain how to handle the demostrations
in support of the Dutch Experience coffee shop. Up top now
they had adopted a hard line approach, arresting people even
for simple possession. Just before Christmas two MEP's were
arrested for possession of tiny, symbolic, amounts of cannabis.
However,
when nonviolent Italian radical party leader, MEP Marco Pannella
presented himself for arrest in a similar act of civil dissobedience
on Monday 28th January things went differently. About 25 of
protesters stood outside Stockport police station whilst Marco
Pannella gave a press statement. Unlike previous occassions,
there were no police present.
In the end he had to go into the station to be arrested as
nobody would come out at all, so along with about 15 folk
and loads of cameras he went in. The police quickly kicked
all the cameras out, then proceeded to do something strange.
They
confiscated Marco's Panellas weed, gave him a receipt for
it and told him it was not in the public interest to arrest
him. They had stated in the past that when challenged with
overtly illegal behaviour they would enforce the law to the
full, not this time, not even a caution just a bit of paper
saying "we have nicked your weed"
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Colin
Davies - witnesses required
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Anyone
who has received medicine from Colin for or who tried to recieve
medicine and who wants to be a defence witness at his trial
please contact:
Chris Hinnet at Henry and Co Solicitors 0161 477 8558
The more patients they hear from the better (looking for over
200 to attend court as defence witnesses) |
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Class
B or Class C!, Colin Davies should be free!!
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C!
day - for a report on the demo in support of
Colin Davies and the Dutch Experience in Stockport on Jauary
29th - click here
BBC
Northwest and Granada TV news reports
BBC - Click here
Granada Click here
(930KB and 1.41MB - open in Media player)
Open
letter from Colin to The Manchester Evening News, February
2002 - Click here
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Colin
Davies released on bail!
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Colin
Davies, Co-founder of the Dutch Experience Coffee
shop in Stockport was released on bail on Friday
17th May by Manchester Crown court after serving
SEVEN months on remand.
To
what end was Colin’s time on remand justified?
The Dutch Experience coffeeshop is still open,
and many more cannabis entrepreneurs are now following
in Colin’s footsteps with at least 12 more
coffeeshops opening nationwide this summer.
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Is
it right that an disabled man who has twice been
vindicated by a jury can be locked up to silence
him?
Colin
has now served his time whether he is found guilty
or not, the state has exacted it’s punishment
on him by using the remand law in a wholly unjustified
way.
Colins
release has been under very stringent bail conditions
which allows him very limited movement on release,
one major restriction is that Colin stays out
of the Greater Manchester area, which excludes
him from his home (not seen in seven months),
easy contact with his children, and the chance
to start to put his life back together in his
own community after being imprisoned with out
trial for far too long.
The
attitude towards cannabis in the UK has now shifted
towards a more understanding and accepting attitude,
with our own government’s advisory bodies
stating clearly that cannabis is less harmful
than either of the two legal drugs alcohol and
tobacco. With this justified change in attitude
to cannabis how can the UK Home Office justify
their treatment of Colin Davies,
a man who has twice beaten them in court by being
HONEST, and a man who has only tried to help sick
and disabled people like himself ?
Colin
is ‘free’ now, with the aforementioned
restrictions, his dream is still alive, the Dutch
Experience is open for over 9 months today, and
became a symbol for cannabis activists around
the world.
Colin’s
trial is set for June 24, 2002, in Manchester
Crown Court, where a jury has to decide if he
is guilty or not, after hearing dozens of witnesses
on Colin’s behalf. All in the publics interest.
Nol
van Schaik,
Co-founder of the Dutch Experience.
www.dutchexperience.org
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| Colin
was re-arrested on Monday, July 1st - click here
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Colin
Davis found guilty - Dutch Experience
raided
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Colin
Davis, the founder of the UK's first
cannabis coffeeshop in Stockport was
sentenced today (Thursday 3rd October),
nearly a year after the shop was raided
by Greater Manchester police
Colin
was given various sentences up to
a max of 2 years for the offences
the jury found him guilty of yesterday
(to run 'concurrently). the heaviest
sentences for November 20th offences
because he'd carried on after the
September busts
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Also
12 months each (also to run 'concurrently')
for the PERJURY and POSSESSION WITH INTENT
TO SUPPLY charges from July of this year,
which he pleaded guilty to this morning,
But
the two groups of sentences to run consecutively,
so a total of 3 years.
The
packed public gallery were shocked into
a stunned silence by the severity of the
sentences.
There
is a possibility of an appeal against the
sentences but that will probably take months.
We
think Colin will be back in Strangeways
for now but will probably be moved to another
(hopefully better) prison fairly soon now
he has been convicted.
Colin
Senior was also in court to face Perjury
charges - he pleaded not guilty and the
Crown decided it wasn't in the public interest
to go ahead.
Colin
was found guilty of three counts of possessing
a Class B drug with intent to supply at
Manchester's Minshull Crown Court, also
of supplying a Class B drug and of being
involved in the importation of cannabis.
He
was also convicted of permitting the
premises to be used for the smoking
of the drug.
A
jury of seven men and five women took
just over five hours to reach their
verdicts.
Shortly
after the sentences were passed, around
50 police raided the cafe.
DE
Press release - click here
The
Dutch Experience story - click here
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Cannabis
remains the most popular drug
in the EU.
Britain
had the second highest number
of users who had tried the drug
at least once (second only to
Denmark).
Of
adult Britons, 27% said they
had smoked a joint
44%
of young Britons said so.
Guardian,
4th Ocotber 2002
Full story - click here
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