The first "March to End Prohibition"
by Tim Crowley
On Monday, June 8, Seattle area activists participated in the first monthly "March to End Prohibition." The event was the first of six marches planned for this Summer and Fall. The marches, on the first Monday of every month, are intended to raise awareness and call for an end to drug prohibition.
Around 75 people gathered at Westlake Park and listened to Tyree Callahan from the November Coalition speak about the evils of the drug war. The demonstrators carried signs and banners, some had drums and others handed out flyers to pedestrians. After hearing Callahan speak, the marchers began down the 4th Avenue sidewalk, chanting slogans such as "no more drug war" and "education not incarceration." It was a beautiful day for a march in downtown Seattle. The sun shone and the wind was cool.
The march went to the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. Demonstrators placed signs in the ground and listened to more speakers including Vivian McPeak, Director of the Seattle Hempfest; myself, Tim Crowley; Stitch Miller from the Green Cross Patient Co-op; Ben Livingston, Editor of Hemp Activist Times; and Darral Good from the Washington Hemp Education Network. Some people took the opportunity to gather signatures for Initiative 692 and others continued to flyer passerbys with informational handouts.
This march was held in solidarity with the Global Coalition for Alternatives to the Drug War as part of the 1998 Global Days against the Drug War. Events took place in 53 cities worldwide as a protest of the United Nations General Assembly Special Assembly on drugs. The conference was originally intended as a critical examination of the war on drugs, but the United States stepped in and the topic was changed to include only ways to expand the drug war. Activists around the globe demanded an end to failed tactics and a beginning of real change in global drug policy.
The next "March to End Prohibition" is scheduled for July 6th at 6:00 PM by The Hammering Man at Seattle Art Museum. The theme of this march is Independence from Prohibition, to tie in with Independence Day. There promises to be street theatre, speeches, a great march and at least twice as many people as the last march.
Being someone involved in these marches, I want to comment on how easy this stuff is to do. Anybody can do it. Everybody should. This started with an innocent comment on a mailing list that it would be fun to do a few protests. I must've received five emails saying "do it," so we did it. We've had a blast making posters and signs and planning these marches. You can even get a parade permit to block traffic, complete with a police escort if you want.
These Monday marches are mandatory. Your freedom depends on it.
- July 6, 6:00 PM - Hammering Man
- Independence from Prohibition
- August 3, 6:00 PM - Alki Statue of Liberty
- Family's March to End Prohibition
- September 7 - Denny Park
- Prison Labor Days
- October 5 - Harborview Hospital
- Marijuana is Medicine
- November 2 - King County Courthouse
- March to End Prohibition