From: FARId

Adressed to Dana Beal

Hi Dana,
Well some bad news and good news from France. Next message with pictures of the MMM in Paris.

Since Friday, May 3rd my email account at Free is censored, so that I can't anymore receive messages on gfarid@free.fr. For few days you must use dalilaa@free.fr
- I have been seized about 250 posters and 500 leaflets about MMM 2002 (stuff you send me) ; Police shown a rare repressive face some days before the second round of the presidential election on may 5th.
- Also on Friday, Freddy, one of the first supporter of the MMM and owner of a Records shop receive the visit of police inspectors as the window of his shop is covered with hemp poster of the march : they asked him to withdraw the posters and gave him a fine.

About MMM 2002 :
- On Friday, May 3rd ; two Police officers phoned me at 10:30 AM. Apointment was taken at home with them.

They arrived at 11:15 AM to notify me the complete PROHIBITION (forbidden/interdiction) of the parisian demonstration
called "Marche mondiale pour le cannabis" (Worldwide cannabis march). As soon as they left, I lost my email account.

Under the direct authority of the Prefet (state governor of Paris town), I was oblige to call publicly to cancel the event.
Precisely, the Prefet -Mister Jean Paul Proust- argued that our reasons to ask for this demostration was illegal (people will smoke and promote pot, so that is illegal regarding to the Health code , and that's true, BUT WE NEED A NEW LAW...).

Also, he justified his decision by three securitarian reasons : There is too much demonstrations in Bastille Place (since april 21st) and this is a "Paris spot", so if you add soundzystems that will create more noisy neighbourood desagreements ; also Mister Proust justified that he can't mobilized more "security forces" to "securate" this demonstration.

All Friday, I tried to negociate with authorities (Mayor house and district Mayor, District police officer, send fax to Ministers of Health, Justice, Home affairs, Youth) to soft this last minute desicion, or to find a kind agreement.

- On saturday, may 4th
May be more than 1000 security guards was posted on Bastile Place. A very strange climate on this historical place : like if the "nazi" was still running Paris. I tried to get out of the subway on the place. No possibility. Twice times I faced Robocops telling me to "return back, impossible for you to walk on the place". Sorry, I have a dream that France was still a democratic country promoting human rights and freedom of expression !

After ten minutes, I found a little exit. I walked on the Bastille Place to join the precise spot on wich the demonstration should have taken place.
Cops dressed in civilian stopped me. I argued that I have to tell to the demonstrators that it is forbidden to keep on this area. "I have my 15 megawatts megaphone to do your job as I can't cancel for everyone the invitation".

Okay, go.
I arrive on the precise place, I prepare my megaphone. In 1 minute, 5 robocops are on my shoulders "clear up the place, rubbish". "Sorry, I'm not your dog and I'm here to do your job, so go softly with your words" I answered. "Be careful, you will may be regret your words" one of them nervously replied.

As I know that I was under the authority of one Head police officer, I started my fucking work of the day, barking "Million Marijuana March in Paris has been unauthorized yesterday by prefectoral authorities for security reasons, so no one can't stay on this place, but if you want, you can join Maubert-Mutualite Hall theatre were there is a political meeting and show there your disapproval of this decision". About ten minutes after, as there were just ten of my closed friends around me, Police guards made a circle around us. No way to escape. All my eleven fellows were arrested and for 4 hours injailed.

I shouted those silly advertising with different kinds of speech and sometimes giving personnal opinions. I made my show as I was very angry against those so called Security forces. At 3:00 PM, 200 peoples arrived in the same time. Well prepared, they appeared in surprise. They just pass threw the Place and decided to go to the new rendez-vous.

About more than 500 peoples came to me. One quote of the day for most of them "Really, they can't mobilized security forces... but not even the tenth part of what I see now could have been enough"... Also, angry people asked me to give my megaphone to express their feelings...

After two hours, Police stopped me. I thought for few minutes that I will join my injailed friends. They told me to move. As some people gathered, they follow me to the Maubert-Mutualite Hall, near the Saint Nicolas Church (were the give the religious office in Latin language - a bastion of the Le Pen supporters).

During our little subway road, everything change. Some policemen dressed in civilian who were following the little group following me informed me that more than 500 peoples were demonstrating freely, from Mutualite Hall to the Jardin des Plantes near the Senate House, then informed me that they - security forces - closed this famous garden. Then InformerZ told me that demonstrators continued on the Seine decks (What a mess, I imagine).

Few minutes after as we were all at the entrance of the Maubert-Mutualite Hall, one the civil cops came to me and asked me to come to join the free crowd because Police officer in chief decided to block them. I accepted with two demands : We can all came back to the Maubert-Mutualite Hall and no arrest. They agreed.

I ran with them near Jussieu University, and while the demonstration increased in number (more than one thousand), one range of Robocops block them on the bridge. I was just arriving while they were panicking and running back. I calm them and tried to informed them we can go back to Maubert-Mutualite Hall and that there will be no arrest. I realised that there was a lot of youth peoples, a lot of little groups, and differents leaders. Some of them do not want to be lead, and stayed autonomous but a big part of them trust me.

We tried to get back by litlle streets, but Robocops were blocking the end. So we turn around as mouses in cage as we
were following the "autonomous" leaders. I can recognize that it was fantastic, completely irrealistic. Drums, big spliffs, shouting, smiling but a tense demonstration took place in Paris for the worldwide cannabis day.

After 30 minutes of negociations and many tense discussions with the head security officer, blocked on a bridge in front of the Institut du Monde Arabe, I tried to "range the savage walkers for cannabis" and we all joined the Maubert-Mutualite Hall.

This moment was very impressive while all were shouting « More H, less hate » (+2H ; -2N) ; « Free Marie jeanne, injail
Jean Marie ». « Legalize cannabis ». When all the people arrived in front of the Maubert-Mutualite Hall, we started a public debate and many peoples spoke. Top leaders from political parties in symposium came and discovered the funny and shouty crowd in favor of Drugs legalisation.
All the persons arrested with me, 4 hours before were liberated. They joined us. No more arrest was notice.

Sum up : Demonstration in Paris prohibited. A phenomenal police disposal was on the « war order ».
One totally informal demonstration took place mobilizing more police forces, and sloggans in favor of cannabis legalisation were shouted by 500 peoples in different part of the town. A big political symposium have been informed and put at the back of the wall regarding "progressive arguments for a new society".

Next year, for sure a big demonstration is planned, but before there will be June 1st Ecolo Parade, then on June 18th "cannabis appeal" but may be sooner on May 24th a big demonstration for "anti drugs war and securitarian policies".

Nice to read your comments and totally ready to answer your question if everything is not clear. I'll try to know soon what happens elsewhere in France on May 4th.


Best regards,
FARId

-MMM French coordinator