Pubdate: Wed, 01 Jul 2015 Source: Globe and Mail (Canada) Copyright: 2015 The Globe and Mail Company Contact: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/168 Author: Mikle Hager Page: S1 CANNABIS DAY PROTEST GETS DOWNSIZED July 1 event will move to smaller south side of the Vancouver Art Gallery this year, and will ban vendor booths and large stage Organizers of the annual Canada Day marijuana protest are facing a frosty reception from authorities this year after refusing a last minute request from the city to move their hazy party from downtown Vancouver. Every year on July 1, marijuana activists hold a protest event on the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery. In a letter dated June 9, deputy city manager Sadhu Johnston asked the Cannabis Culture organization, run by pot activist Marc Emery, to cease and desist from advertising the event. Mr. Johnston's letter said it could only go ahead if the proper permits were secured. However, organizer Jeremiah Vandermeer, editor-in-chief of Cannabis Culture magazine, said the event is a protest and has never secured a permit, though he and other activists often meet throughout the year to discuss fire, safety and policing concerns with officials. On the day of the event, he said, "We have walkie-talkies and radios: The police get one of ours, the safety team gets one, the fire officials get one." Several weeks ago, after Mr. Johnston's letter was sent, the deputy city manager met with Mr. Vandermeer and other organizers and asked them to move the protest to an area below the Cambie Street Bridge near the Vancouver Police Department headquarters. "We just don't think asking us to move the whole production three weeks beforehand was possible," Mr. Vandermeer said. This year's event comes in the wake of city council's vote last week to regulate an explosion of illegal storefront pot shops. And two months ago, bureaucrats and public-health officials raised cost and safety concerns over supervising the much larger 4/20 cannabis event in April. Mr. Vandermeer said he doesn't know why the city has taken a more strident approach. He acknowledged that the protest upsets the surrounding business community, and staff with the adjacent Pacific Centre mall may have complained recently about the prospect of protesters again using its bathrooms. The city has said the art gallery's north plaza is off limits this year because of a long-planned redesign of the space. On Tuesday afternoon, the entire plaza was fenced off and one worker was pressure-washing the area. With that plaza fenced off, the protesters will move to the much smaller south side of the property. Mr. Vandermeer said this year's protest will include speeches, music and a "smoke-in" on the art-gallery steps, but organizers will bow to a request from the city to ban vendor booths and a larger stage. Vancouver police spokesman Constable Brian Montague said his force has become increasingly worried that what was once a legitimate political protest has become unwieldy. Last year, the force's biggest concern was activists handing out free edible cannabis products to passersby "that weren't even attending the event," said Constable Montague. Anyone setting up booths this year for "large-scale selling operations" could face arrest for drug trafficking, he added. "We are hoping that this is a protest, as it's intended to be, and not an open-air drug market," said Constable Montague. "If there is a problem that arises within the middle of a crowd, in such a tight venue, the ability of police and fire to gain access is a big concern for us." Last year, the police department spent about $8,400 on extra officers to monitor the event and spent roughly $52,000 for the same services during this year's 4/20 celebrations, said Constable Montague. The city and police don't have any way to recoup extra costs from the organizers of Cannabis Day, because they haven't gone through the official permitting channels, he added. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt