Thanks to the Nashua Telegraph’s Joseph Cote for this story:
Activists were at it again Tuesday, protesting marijuana laws on Library Hill and later at the Nashua Police Department following one arrest.
Organizer Kelly McGuire said she was committed to continuing daily protests, which over the weekend included some protesters smoking joints and from bowls in the downtown park.
About six protesters held signs at the park at the top of Main Street, according to Nashua police Sgt. Denis Linehan. A handful of police were in the area to keep an eye on the protesters, including plainclothes officers among the group.
Linehan said police knew the protest was planned because it was advertised online. The man whom police arrested allegedly gave a joint to one of the plainclothes officers at the park and was charged with distribution of a controlled substance, Linehan said.
McGuire said police refused to identify themselves and didn’t give a reason for arresting the man.
“As far as I know, they came in and arrested him without cause,” McGuire, of Nashua, said. “They wouldn’t identify themselves.” (more…)
Obscured Truth Network’s coverage of the mass arrests that took place at the Nashua 420 celebration over Liberty Forum Weekend.
During a peaceful 420 celebration in Nashua, a young local man was targeted for arrest by undercover police. This was followed by the arrests of two activists who fell victim to a gross overreaction on behalf of the Nashua Police. All three were released a few hours later, and arraignment dates have been posted on the Free Keene Forum. Curtis, who attended the Nashua 420 on Saturday, despite a recent back injury which had restricted him to a wheelchair, was arrested on Tuesday during another Nashua 420 celebration. He is currently still being held in jail. Check back to FreeKeene for updates on Curtis’ status.
NASHUA – The men and women who waged a protest this weekend on Library Hill were bound by a philosophy of personal liberty as much as by a shared belief that marijuana should be decriminalized, said a city resident who participated in the demonstration.
Three people were arrested at the demonstration, which was deemed as a “420 celebration,” said Ryan McGuire, 29, who moved to the city two years ago from Utah as part of the Free State movement.
The term 420 refers to the consumption of marijuana, though its origins are disputed, with theories ranging from a group of California teenagers who would smoke pot at 4:20 each afternoon, to 420 denoting a police scanner code for suspected marijuana possession. The demonstration included some people openly smoking marijuana while others carried signs and chanted in support.
The protest wasn’t organized by one person or group but came about through a loose network of people connected through social networking, McGuire said. It included members of an organization called Free Keene as well as some Free Staters, he said. (more…)
Today I witnessed a 4:20 Celebration for the first time up close, although I have seen them many times on YouTube. Like many of the 4:20 celebrants, I am attending the 2010 Liberty Forum in Nashua, New Hampshire. Earlier today at 4:20 PM a lot of fans of freedom gathered at a park in Nashua, NH. Some of them smoked marijuana, a plant has been deemed “illegal” in the United States as part of a larger “War on Drugs.” Others just smoked cigarettes or enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in New Hampshire. (more…)
