Turn Yourself In

The first arrests at a cannabis users 'Turn Yourself In' happened at the beginning of the event on 14th December. About 100 people were joined by two vans of police who piled out to begin searching individuals. One man who had been handing out tobacco cigarettes approached a policeman and asked to be arrested for poisoning and assault, but was refused because 'tobacco is not a controlled substance'.

The crowd then went to hand themselves in for their 'crime' but the police suggested that they might have something better to do: it was suggested to the police that they might have something better to do than busting people for using cannabis, such as arresting people whose crime has a victim.

The police brought out reinforcements and said that if people really wanted to be arrested, they 'would be happy to accommodate them'. A campaigner put words to this effect to the crowd but in doing so he was arrested for Breach of The Peace and taken to a police van. A photographer was then arrested 'for not having a bath'. Further arrests took place but only one activist was charged with Possession of Cannabis, even though he didn't have any. He is charged with possessing an unspecified amount at an unspecified place in Leeds on an unspecified date in 1997! The only evidence against him is that he says it's true! Watch out Bill Clinton.

Contact Cannabis Legalisation Action Group, PO Box HP94, Leeds LS6 1YJ. E-mail clagleeds@hotmail.com