Pubdate: Wed, 25 Jul 2001 Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC) Copyright: 2001 Quesnel Cariboo Observer Contact: http://www.quesnelobserver.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260 Author: Rolf Harrison Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada) MARIJUANA ACTIVIST ANGERED OVER BILLY BARKER DAYS POLICE TACKLE A PRO-POT protester pressed charges against police after he says they took him for a roll in the grass during Billy Barker Days. Stephen Payne says bicycle cops from the Quesnel RCMP wanted to shut him up by tackling him and attempting to steal his placard while he protested Saturday afternoon amid festival crowds in Lebourdais Park. "He jumped on me in front of all the kids in the kiddy area. He wrestled me to the ground in front of the five year olds. And they say my picture of marijuana is traumatizing the children," the marijuana advocate said Monday. With shades and a permanent grin, the lone protester roamed the Billy Barker festivities Friday and Saturday holding a sign that read "Stop the war on pot" on one side and "Pot is B.C.'s biggest industry" on the other. In the prelude to the take-down, Payne was egging police on to try and trample his constitutional rights by arresting him. On Monday, Payne, who ran as a candidate for the Marijuana Party in the last provincial election, pressed charges against what he calls the "thought police" for political persecution and assault. Sargent Mel Petersen said the allegations are under investigation and until those investigations are complete, police are "not in a position to comment." Festival organizer Cathy Walsh said Payne was being very annoying as he protested the government's war against the pseudo-illegal drug, at one point marching back and forth in front of the Friendship Stage as festival-goers sang O' Canada. "We tried to ignore him. While I certainly respect people's right to freedom of speech, the Billy Barker Days is a non-political, non-issue festival, so no matter where you stand on the issue of marijuana or any other issue a festival of this nature is not a place to protest. There are other more appropriate places to voice your opinion, no matter what the particular issue," said Walsh, head of the Billy Barker Days Society. Payne also filed complaints with the provincial and federal human rights commissions, and the RCMP complaints commission. Civil liberties advocates say the alleged incident is troublesome in a society that values free speech, particularly in this case because it concerns the legalization of marijuana, a movement police oppose. Payne said police told him Friday he would be arrested if he didn't leave. He said that on Saturday the police were petitioning the crowd to see if he was disturbing anyone as he hollered, "The police have no balls to take me in. They're just trying to bully me." The officers later approached him as he sat on the hill with his sign stuck in the ground, he said. He said he told the officers, "If you want to arrest me, do it so we can all be national celebrities." The tackle came as he was walking away from the officers into the crowd, Payne said. "They tried three times to take my sign. When I said a journalist was right there, the cop got up and ran away." Asked why he would take his political message to a celebration, Payne said because of the crowd. "I take my message to the community once a week." "In all my years of protesting, even when I've been pepper-sprayed, I've never heard of someone trying to wrestle someone to the ground or steal their sign. That was a total first." - --- MAP posted-by: GD