Irish "J-day" event cancelled

[Abrad]

Taken from http://www.jdayireland.com/:

"Officially" J-day Ireland has been cancelled&as such anyone there to gather for J-day could be hassled by the gardai or park rangers, however myself and a few others intend to make the best of the park facilities we are entitled to use, as in relaxation and recreation. Further more to the best of our knowledge there are no laws to prevent clowns, jugglers, facepainters etc entering the park to make the best of it's facilities.
Please feel free to bring a camcorder to ensure nobody misbehaves or trys to deny you your right to use the public park for recreation.

Seems that this was cancelled due to police objections, SWIM wonders if there will be a police prescence tomorrow to stop any potential protesters from gathering. If so SWIM is sure this will result in a typically heavy-handed approach from the Gardai.

[Lunar Loops]

Unfortunately, I can not make it up to Dublin tomorrow, but I agree, it will be VERY interesting to see what sort of approach (if any) is adopted by the Gardai. They currently have McTool leaning on them from every angle and on every subject, the man is clearly every inch a megalomaniac. Reason has never entered into his vocabulary. He's also been laying down the law to the Prison officers this week. Clearly no end to the mans delusional capabilities.

[Nature Boy]

I don't even know why people bother with these exhibitions. I mean, what do you expect? For the Gardaí to just sit back while you rip a bongful of White Widow in public? Not a chance. Try San Francisco, not Dublin.

[Abrad]

Originally Posted by nature_boy_liam

I mean, what do you expect? For the Gardaí to just sit back while you rip a bongful of White Widow in public?

This is what happened the year SWIM attended. They were just taking photographs. I suppose it wasn't practical to start making arrests when there were hundreds of people openly breaking the law.

[Nature Boy]

I wouldn't want my photo taken either. In all honesty, most pot smokers wouldn't dare be seen smoking in public. Why bother? Smoking at home is safer. Rubbing pot in people's faces isn't gonna help legalise it.

[Abrad]

I agree about not wanting photos taken but I do think demonstrations like this are worthwhile. I suspect the Garda are cracking down on public demonsrations since the Love Ulster riot, aswell as the trouble at the Reclaim the Streets demo a couple of years ago and the Anti-globalisation march last year.

[Lunar Loops]

Originally Posted by abrad84

I agree about not wanting photos taken but I do think demonstrations like this are worthwhile.

I think they have their place, but depends very much on how they are handled. No amount of public opinion is going to be swayed by lots of students and hippy looking types in a park. I'm torn between two camps here, whilst I am VERY pessimistic about any change in public perception and even more so about any policy change in this country, I'm also of the opinion that doing nothing other than smoking in your own home will achieve nothing. I would never criticise those who are prepared to stand up and be counted (however futile it may appear).

[Nature Boy]

Although you contradict yourself, I agree with you. Smoking at home won't do shit and smoking in a big public group won't do shit. It's Ireland, nothing new there.

[Lunar Loops]

Originally Posted by nature_boy_liam

Although you contradict yourself, I agree with you. Smoking at home won't do shit and smoking in a big public group won't do shit. It's Ireland, nothing new there.

As I said, torn between two camps. The basic point I was trying to make was that I would say fair play to anyone who tries to organise such events (even if I am rather sceptical of their worth).

In order for people to truly sit up and take notice, any such even would need to attract thousands and have speakers from across the board who were in favour of legalisation....politicians, clergy, youth workers, gardai, drug councellors, respected business men, etc, etc. It's nice to dream........

[Hyperreal]

The gards won't go into the middle of a large crowd to arrest people with joints; it's more trouble than it's worth.
I agree with shroomonger all the way - fair play to everyone involved. Anti-prohibitionists need to make themselves heard somehow.

[Lunar Loops]

Anyone have any idea if anything happened on Saturday? Nothing on the J-Day site or ie-cannabis forum.

[Mr. Giraffe]

Shroomonger, as far as I know (I wasn't there), the people who turned up had their contact details taken by organsiers for future mobilisation; there was no organised event as such (the council having refused permission for the gathering), but there was a small, informal gathering.

As far as I know, no arrests were made and there was no trouble.

[Lunar Loops]

Many thanks for the info Giraffe.