02/05/2007 16:00:00
Russia: Hemp march to be banned in Moscow - security chief
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MOSCOW, May 3 (RIA Novosti) - An application to hold a march to
legalize marijuana in Moscow at the weekend will be refused, the Moscow
security chief said Thursday.
The Cannabis Legalize League, a public organization, has submitted an
application to hold a 'hemp march' May 5 in Moscow, where even
possession of cannabis for personal use is illegal, to the Moscow City
administration, Nikolai Kulikov said.
"After consideration, the event organizers received an official refusal
as the march would represent the propaganda of narcotics and is in
breach of Russian laws," Kulikov said.
He pledged that if the rally is held unsanctioned, the police would
disperse the march.
Kulikov was echoed by the Federal Drug Control Service. "I cannot rule
out that they [the organizers] will be called to account, and I don't
think the organizers or participants in the march are law abiding
people," said Vladimir Zubrin, a deputy head of the service.
It is the fourth attempt to hold a rally to legalize marijuana in
Moscow. Last year, the organizers applied for a 2,000-strong march.
Despite a refusal by the authorities, they held an unsanctioned rally.
The first march, also an unsanctioned one, was held in 2004 attended by
some 200 people. The police arrested 65 participants.
The cannabis-related event takes place on the first Saturday of May and
is part of the Global Marijuana March, which has been held in over 400
cities in different parts of the world since 1999. It features rallies,
raves, concerts, and festivals to promote cannabis culture as a personal
lifestyle choice.
The propaganda of narcotics is not the only excuse for Moscow
authorities to prohibit rallies. Last year plans to hold a gay pride
parade in Moscow crashed after a refusal by the city government and the
mayor's personal condemnation of such events, referring to them as
"Satanic". The Russian Orthodox Church also criticized the plans. All
subsequent appeals against the decision were turned down.
Despite the ban, about 200 people took to the streets May 27, 2006 in an
unsanctioned demonstration to mark the 13th anniversary of the
decriminalization of homosexuality in Russia.
The attempt resulted in violent clashes between sexual minorities and
their opponents - representatives of a number of political parties,
religious and radical movements - and the detention of some 120 people
from both sides, most of whom were later released.
http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070503/64837337.html
Source:
http://www.ukcia.org/news/shownewsarticle.php?articleid=12515
Author:
RIA Novosti via UKCIA
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