Union Leader Reports on Yesterday’s Mass Smoke Out in Keene’s Central Square

September 25, 2009 by Ian
Filed under: Issues, News, Video

It’s happening again today at 4:20pm! Thanks to Melanie Plenda at the Union Leader for this article:

KEENE – With the flick of a Bic and the bull-horned battle cry of, “Smoke ‘em, if you got ‘em,” nearly 75 people gathered to protest drug laws by lighting up, once again, in downtown’s Central Square. Marijuana rights advocates have been gathering daily for the past week each day at 4:20 p.m. to smoke pot in protest of drug laws. The number 420 is a code used by police officers to indicate the presence of marijuana.

Yesterday afternoon was no exception, but the crowd was much bigger in the wake of a New Hampshire Union Leader story that ran Thursday about people gathering to smoke on the square

Dozens of people streamed into the square and set up camp until precisely 4:20 p.m., when several members of the group could be seen lighting what appeared to be marijuana cigarettes and glass pipes and passing around brownies they said contained marijuana. Some however, like Rich Paul, 40, of Keene — who started the “420 at 4:20,” as it is being called — said he was not planning to partake because he thought police would be on hand making arrests.

“All I have on me is an empty holster and my copy of the Constitution,” he said.

Police did show up, arriving well after 4:20. No arrests were made. Officers parked their cruiser on the Main Street roundabout just outside the square, where they stood and watched the demonstrators.

“We were sent here on a detail assignment by our supervisors,” said Officer Timothy Peloquin. “So, I guess that means we are just going to stand here and see what’s going on.”

Peloquin said he didn’t have any problem with people gathering in the square and didn’t see or smell anything that warranted investigation.

While many of the protesters were respectful, some of them mocked and yelled at police as officers did initial drive-bys of the square. Others continued to insult the officers stationed outside the square. Police did not react, except to tell the demonstrators they respected their right to protest.

“All I smell is some clove,” Peloquin said. “But I guess we’ll just keep standing here getting mocked. I know some of the people here and I know they are usually smarter and far more respectful than this. Whatever they believe is their business and their right to believe it and I respect that. And I would never treat them how they are treating us today. I wouldn’t talk to them the way they are talking to us.”

At that point a young man walked up to the officers and thanked them for being, “peaceful people.”

As the event went on, more people milled in and out of the square, chanted about repealing marijuana laws to passing cars. Drivers responded with plenty of horn-honking.

“I think it should be legalized,” said 16-year-old Peighton Bergeron, a student at Keene High School. “It’s my body and I want to do what I want with it. I get good grades, I don’t get in trouble, I’m a good kid. I have no worries about my future and I smoke pot.”

But she said she did not smoke pot yesterday afternoon at the protest.

“I want to stay being a good kid who stays out of trouble,” she said.

The protesters also drew a substantial crowd of onlookers that lined the sidewalks around the square, including several members of the Public Defenders’ Office, who have an office nearby. They declined comment , but stood watching for a while.

At one point protesters even gathered to help push a disabled car out of the intersection.

“We may be stoned but that doesn’t mean we can’t be helpful,” said 19-year-old Noah Wood, of Keene. “. . . And we’ll be back tomorrow. Every day. We’ll be back here every day. There’s no end to this until they take away the drug laws. All we want is to be able to smoke pot, that’s all.”

Next week, Keene city councilors plan to vote again on formulating a resolution in support of the use of medical marijuana and decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana. The resolution was suggested by a former councilor and retired Keene police officer.

Comments

7 Comments on Union Leader Reports on Yesterday’s Mass Smoke Out in Keene’s Central Square

Mitch on Fri, 25th Sep 2009 1:45 am

Does anybody have any national media connections or ideas about how to get them to cover the story? I think the media would actually pick this up if it is pitched as civil disobedience everyday until the laws are repealed. This would be excellent for the FSP of course and also for promoting civil disobedience everywhere. Maybe this could become a national movement?

Larry The Dwarf on Fri, 25th Sep 2009 8:02 am

http://digg.com/world_news/Marijuana_protest_fills_Keene_square_again/

Laur on Fri, 25th Sep 2009 8:20 am

EPIC.

Nicely done, folks.

thinkliberty on Fri, 25th Sep 2009 9:00 am

I can’t tell if the cop is joking, when he told the reporter:
“I would never treat them how they are treating us today. I wouldn’t talk to them the way they are talking to us.”

His co-workers have kidnapped people for touching marijuana (like Andrew Carroll – http://freekeene.com/2009/06/08/andrew-carroll-video/ ) and a women for being topless like the guys around her (Cassidy – http://freekeene.com/2009/09/08/proof-kpd-officer-knew-toplessness-not-a-crime-prior-to-making-arrest/ )

The free staters are peaceful people and would never kidnap and cage someone like the people that he works with at the Keene police department.

We would never treat them in the same ways that they have treated us.

If they don’t like the words that get directed towards them after their violent out bursts. Maybe they should apologize for their violent actions against peaceful people.

We will see if the Cop is telling the truth and lives by those words in the future:
“I would never treat them how they are treating us today. I wouldn’t talk to them the way they are talking to us.”

Hopefully he is not lying and just saying that because there is a reporter present.

Hopefully acts of violence from the Keene police department are a thing of the past.

Neal Conner on Fri, 25th Sep 2009 9:43 am

Please, feel free to comment on the article page. So far, most of the posters have spewed such vitriol, calling those who took part in the event ‘idiots’ with ‘nothing better to do in life’ who should ‘locked up.’

Rich on Wed, 21st Oct 2009 10:38 am

Obviously, the author misinterpreted my comments on the contents of my pockets. They were more or less empty because I *expected* to be arrested, not because I was trying to avoid it.