Portsmouth Smokey Bears 2001
Again, this proved to be a confrontation between the Bears and the local police who were determined to uphold the law, no matter how daft it is - because its the law so there.
So, in contrast to the tolerance we are used to these days, the Portsmouth police showed us the other, darker, repressive side of British policing.
This text of this review was published in the magazine Weed World
Photos are from Phil Stovell's collection (with thanks).
Second weekend in August, Sunny Southsea Common, must be the Smokey Bears Picnic
For those not up to speed with this annual jamboree on the south coast, these 'smoke in' picnics are unique to the legalise cannabis campaign. The first Smokey Bear Picnics began in California in the early 70's. The Southsea picnic traces its origins back to 1994 and a series of local demos organised to fight the Criminal Justice Act. With opposition to the CJA now just an historical chapter in an honourable tradition of direct action resistance, this Smokey Bear Picnic has now become a part of the UK legalisation calendar.
Sometime around picnic number three back in 1996 the Hampshire Constabulary decided they had nothing better to do than elevate the Bears to public enemy number one. Since then this event has become a test of will and ingenuity that the bears have won on points every year to date.
With a media savvy that would be the envy of a well-funded NGO the bears have left the plod standing time after time with their sheer inventiveness and 'bear' faced cheek. Last year was a classic with the police turning up with a drug sniffer dog (see Weed World #29). The farce of this dog bounding around the picnic pinpointing dozens of peaceful protesters for arrest who subsequently proved to be not in possession of any illegal plants was frankly unbelievable.
With a media savvy that would be the envy of a well-funded NGO the bears have left the plod standing time after time with their sheer inventiveness and 'bear' faced cheek. Last year was a classic with the police turning up with a drug sniffer dog (see Weed World #29). The farce of this dog bounding around the picnic pinpointing dozens of peaceful protesters for arrest who subsequently proved to be not in possession of any illegal plants was frankly unbelievable.
The police press officer present added to the surreal situation by explaining to the assembled media that people wearing hemp clothing had confused the do
Another cock up that came back to haunt the police was the arrest last year of local man Jon Neil for light-heartedly commenting on a copper's obvious ginger toupee. Not only was Jon's arrest illegal in law, but also he was libelled by the police in information released to the press. Jon was subsequently awarded £1,200 in compensation
Totally in tune with the cheeky modus operandi of the Bears, Jon decided to spend some of his compensation on free ice creams for this year's picnic.
A free newspaper clled 'Common Sense' was distributed at the picnic telling the story behind the free ice cream. Also included was information about your rights on arrest, the campaign to boycott Soap Bar, how to get copies of the police surveillance video's and a survey on the top ten reasons to legalise.
Top marks for this year's stunt went to the Pagan wedding of two local activists dressed in hemp clothing. It was shortly after this wedding - which was recorded by TV crews from BBC, Meridian, CNN, MYTV & Undercurrents - that police moved in to arrest a couple of guys smoking a bong. A group of activists including Jerry Ham and supporters of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance surrounded the intended victims and linked arms. As a large melee kicked off and coppers helmets went flying, one of those caught up in it was the groom. Two police officers started to drag him away to a waiting van before the whole wedding party jumped on their prisoner and he disappeared under a heap of bodies. Hopelessly outnumbered the two police withdrew.
Not prepared to leave it at that they came back with reinforcements to hunt for this fugitive. By now the groom had changed his pink tie dyed wedding suit with clothing from other picnickers and had been smuggled off the Common. An unpleasant sting in the tale emerged later when we learnt that plain clothes' officers had followed the bride home to a local address. Minutes later the address was raided by two van loads of Hampshire's finest.
No luck for the old bill though, our hero was elsewhere. Police are still looking for a guy in a pink tie dye hemp suit answering to the name of Eric Head.
