Two campaigners for the legalisation of cannabis were married at 2pm today in the middle of a Pot Picnic on Southsea Common, Portsmouth. With the Police maintaining an intrusive presence during the ceremony, the Bride, Deborah (31) and Groom, Eric (32), both dressed in Hemp clothing, exchanged vows within a circle of hundreds of well wishers at The Annual Smokey Bears Picnic.

Police bundled members of the wedding party into vans surrounding the common for searchs. One middle-aged woman became distressed as three officers grabbed her for lighting up a cannabis joint. As other members of the wedding party intervened to prevent the arrest, a large scuffle broke out. Among those involved in the scuffle was the Groom, a local man. Two officers grabbed the Groom and attempted to remove him to a waiting van. Other demonstrators surrounded the Police officers and de-arrested him.

After exchanging his pink Hemp wedding suit for clothes from other picnickers, he was quickly smuggled off the common. Officers in plain clothes later followed the heavily pregnant Bride to a local address which was raided moments later by two van loads of Hampshire Police. The Groom was not at the address, and Police are still combing Portsmouth looking for a man answering his description.

A spokesperson for the Portsmouth's Smokey Bears regard this years event as a great success.

"Over 300 people attended which was lower than we anticipated but not surprising considering the intimidating police presence coupled with the bad weather. We are at a total loss to understand the motivation of the police in attacking the wedding. We have not been intimidated in the past by these Police tactics and we will definately be back next year- especially now that we are so close to winning. "


Notes to editors

This was the eight year running that this event had been held. The first couple of years of the picnic were trouble free but since the Police have been attending in overwhelming numbers using sniffer dogs, video surveilance squads, and attempts at mass arrests, isolated confrontations have occurred. In 1997 a near riot ensued when officers snatched ex-cannabis smuggler Howard Marks from the crowd.

Video footage available from Undercurrents - 07973 298359
Photographs from Simon Chapman - 07889 747916

More info from www.smokeybearspicnic.com
eye witness reports from www.indymedia.org.uk
contact  bear@hotpotmail.com