It was clear on approaching the common for the seventh annual Portsmouth Smokey Bears Picnic that the police intended to intimidate and bully picnickers from the outset. Seventy officers were mobilised with numerous meat-wagons, a sniffer dog and surveillance teams.

Who were they confronting? A beered up mob dishing out indiscriminate violence? A gathering of gangster gangs?

Nope, the police threw their costly resources at a crowd of three hundred-or-so people who believe that the current anti-cannabis laws are ridiculous. Their chosen method of protest was to hold a peaceful picnic. Does such an event warrant such over-the-top policing? If the arrest figures are anything to go by, clearly not.

Most people attending the picnic had heeded suggestions to only bring legal smoking mixes. The police were outwitted here. Their sniffer dog, though enthusiastic, failed to provide the police with the evidence they needed for numerous possession charges. One picnicker after another was taken away to be searched only to be released again as they had nothing incriminating about their person.

The police were outwitted again as their surveillance operation was turned against them. A leaflet distributed amongst the crowd encouraged people to "Employ big brother to make a video of the Smokey Bears Picnic!". It advised people that they were legally entitled to a copy of any footage taken of them while at the picnic and how to obtain such footage.

Finally those arrested for public order offences were the victims of police bullying with one person arrested for allegedly commenting on an officer’s wig!

It is clear that the anti-cannabis laws are stupid, but surely the first prize for crass stupidity beyond the call of duty must go to the Portsmouth and Hampshire police. Step forward officers and accept your prize of egg, fairly and squarely, all over your faces!

Sorry I let the side down.

I was arrested under suspicion of possesion of illegal substances. I spoke to a BBC reporter whilst under arrest. I was searched, not thouroghly, I gave the policeman who arrested me the Oxo cude wrapped in cling film. It was cling film.

Thanks to the people who donated the three spliffs to me, a destitute Oxo (who wants a raost lunch?) enthusiast.

Back to the Four-Way.

Posted to:
uk.politics.drugs
talk.politics.drugs
uk.politics.misc
uk.misc
uk.legal

10, Downing Street website (Drugs policy forum)
Michael Mates, MP
Several mailing lists
Several individuals via BCC.


Yesterday, Sunday 14th August, 2000, I went with three other people to Southsea Common, to see what was happening at Smokey Bear's picnic.

Smokey Bear's picnic is an annual protest about the evil that is cannabis prohibition. This year was the first time I have been. I have been to every (I think) London cannabis protest since The Independent on Sunday's in 1998.

We arrived in Southsea at about 13:15, so we decided to have a pint near the common, where we could see what was happening. At 14:00 we could see a lot of people and police on the common, so we finished our drinks and walked over to the common, arriving at about 14:15. There were two police officers we passed on the way to where the majority of people were, I had a little chat with them, they seemed quite friendly. When we approached where the majority of the people where, I could see that the Police appeared to be taking a fairly heavy hand and were arresting people. I decided to get a closer look and to take some photographs.

Whilst I was taking the photographs (I don't know how many yet as I haven't had the film developed) a dog ran past me. A woman police officer (whom I later found out, from a sympathetic policeman, was from British Transport Police in London) nodded towards me and said "him". I then felt a hand on my shoulder as a police officer said: "I'm arresting you on suspicion of possessing controlled substances". I didn't quite know what was expected so I raised my arms preparing for him to search me, but he led me away to a rank of "meat wagons", where they were searching people. On my way out of the common, I seemed to be the centre of media attention as shutters were going and video cameras were pointed my way. A cameraman from the BBC chased after me and asked why I thought I was being arrested. I think I said "suspicion of possession" he then said "of what?" I said I assumed it was cannabis. Apparently, this segment was shown on the local BBC-1 news Sunday night. I was also filmed by a police officer, number 2244. The time I was arrested was 14:20. I called out to several people I know and they also videoed me being escorted away.

As the police officer was leading me out of the common, I said to him that there was no need to keep hold of me, I was not going to run away, but he said he had to keep hold of me. He was very gentle and allowed me full range of movement of my arm. We also had a little chat, I was feeling quite exhilarated. When we got to the rank of meat wagons, there was a queue for searching. There were 3 meat wagons, I think, being used for searches. When one eventually became free, I was politely asked to get inside. The police officer then asked me to empty out my pockets. I took a lump of brownish material wrapped in cling film out of the small ticket pocket on my jeans and gave it to the arresting officer saying "This is what you're interested in". Unfortunately, Oxo doesn't look very much like cannabis resin close up. "What's this?" the police officer asked. I wasn't too sure whether to tell the truth, but he'd opened it and could smell the beef stock, so I said "it's a bit of Oxo cube". The policeman smiled and I said "You can have it for your Sunday Joint", or some similar flippant remark. Then the search continued, the search officer went through my pockets himself, patted me down my back and legs and asked me to remove my shoes, which I did. He then stroked my feet. After that, he helped me put my property back in my pockets and the officer who arrested me took some details and unarrested me.

I have absolutely no problem with the way the police treated me after my arrest, except for the sniffer dog handler, who refused to speak to me when I was remonstrating about the dog making a false detection. Because I was dressed in a hemp T-shirt and hemp jeans I was asking whether the false detection was because of that, but she didn't even acknowledge my existence, unlike the other officers who were friendly and chatted and many of them were sympathetic to what we were trying to achieve.

I think I was under arrest for about 15 minutes, which is not a long time, but during those 15 minutes I was not at liberty, so for having smelly clothes (it has also been suggested for having long hair) I have lost 15 minutes of my life.

When I returned back to the common I was interviewed by several journalists, including one from The Sunday Times, so there could be an interesting article next weekend.

I rejoined my friends and managed to get to the beer I had bought with me. We watched and I photographed the police getting "in your face" with people there. In fact I spoke to another man who had been arrested and searched. He said that he'd been rolling a fake joint for the BBC cameras when the police snatched him!

There was one person that reported a problem with the police - apparently her brother had been arrested and pushed over by the police behind the hedges. She said they were on holiday and were nothing to do with Smokey Bear's. I alerted a journalist friend of mine to this but I've heard no more and my impression was that there was a bit of poetic license in what she was saying.

On a visit to the public toilets I chatted with a Portsmouth council tax payer and his mother. They were rather horrified to see their money wasted in such an obviously extravagant manner. I suggested that they should question the local police about the cost benefit analysis which was presumably done to justify their action. As far as I am aware, there was only one ("successful") arrest for possession, with somebody going to magistrates court sometime soon. I have no doubt that this person will either have no penalty or a very minor one. The JPs I know are not interested in Cannabis cases and think it a waste of time and resources, as it so plainly is.

It then started to rain very heavily so we left.

My overall impression was one of a completely futile effort by the police. They arrested and searched many people. Apparently, only one person had cannabis (that they found). When I was sitting on the common, the smell of cannabis fumes was quite noticeable.

I estimate that there were about 300 people there and about 100 police officers, although my estimates are usually of no value!

I will be taking things further. I am entitled to a copy of any video they have taken of me, under the Data Protection Act, so I will be chasing that. I will also obtain a copy of my arrest details. It has been suggested that I was arrested solely for my appearance, so I will be interested to see what reason they give for my arrest. If anybody has any video of my actual arrest, could they check to see if the dog DID indicate that I smelled of illegal substances. It didn't look like it to me, but I'm no expert on drug dogs.

dont let the fuckers get you down.
were winning the fight. keep spreading the herb!