Pubdate: Thu, 02 Jul 2015 Source: Province, The (CN BC) Copyright: 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html Website: http://www.theprovince.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476 Author: John Colebourn Page: 4 A CANNABIS DAY OF HIGHS AND LOWS Pro-Marijuana Activists Go Ahead With Their Annual Protest Despite Warnings From the City What a bong show. Pot activists and Vancouver police clashed at a Canada Day demonstration on Wednesday at the Vancouver Art Gallery. At least four people were arrested as the so-called protest stretched into a long, hot day full of pro-pot propaganda on the concrete steps of the art gallery. In defiance of a City of Vancouver order not to hold the annual Canada Day marijuana protest on the gallery's large north plaza, activists and vendors started setting up their booths early Wednesday at the south end of the public facility. Last month deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston told organizers of the annual rally to take their show somewhere else. The group was also warned not to advertise the event and notified that vendors could operate or set up tents only if the proper permits were acquired. With cases full of glass pipes and bongs that range in price from $10 to $500, artist Elisha of Leash Glass said she was on hand more to protest than to make a profit from selling her handmade goods. "I make money, but that is not what this day is about," she said. "Being here is a protest about how they should legalize marijuana." Even the Prince of Pot was among those in the crowd. Marc Emery, who spent five years in a U.S. prison on drug charges, walked around with a huge joint that he said had an ounce of pot in it. "There has been a terrible change at city hall," he said of the city's decision to demand people obtain permits. "They are looking for confrontation," he added of the large number of police standing around the edge of the rally. Rej Houle, who is with the pot dispensary called Budzilla, said they set up only two booths this year instead of the seven they had at the event last year. He said they did not go to city hall for permits. "We are here, we are proud and we aren't going away," Houle said. NPA Coun. George Affleck said councillors made the decision on the rally because it requires publicly paid staff such as police and medics. "I would say, to be fair, they should apply like any other event to get a permit," he said. "It is a trade show, in effect," Affleck added. But people staffing this year's event said they couldn't bring in portable toilets, or set up first aid or water tents, or have security as in past years when vendors were charged for their tables. With temperatures soaring on the concrete space where vendors set up, pot smokers showed their defiance to police. Among those taken off to jail was Bert Easterbrook, the recipient of a police citation for being a hero during the Stanley Cup riot. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom