Pubdate: Fri, 21 May 2010
Source: Metro (Vancouver, CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Metro Canada
Contact: http://www.metronews.ca/Vancouver/comment/lettereditor
Website: http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3775
Author: Kristen Thompson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?196 (Emery, Marc)

EMERY BACKERS RALLY, VOW WAR ON TORIES

Protest Staged Hours After Pot Activist Deported

More than 100 people shut down traffic at Cambie and Hastings streets 
on Thursday for an ad hoc rally protesting the extradition of Marc 
Emery, hours after the outspoken pot activist was sent to the United States.

Jodie Emery, Marc's wife, planted herself in the middle of the 
intersection, waving a Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf on it and 
shouting her outrage at her husband's extradition.

"My husband committed a crime punishable by only a $200 fine in 
Canada, yet this Conservative government is sending him to ... (a) 
U.S. jail," she said.

Jacob Hunter, one of the organizers, said it was clear from the 
turnout that Vancouverites support Marc's cause.

"If you can do this in three hours, just think what we can do during 
an election," he said.

"The Conservative government wanted a culture war. Well, they have 
it. We will be at their offices, their campaign stops, their 
speeches, fundraisers and every public event. We will hound them 
until this government is defeated."

Hunter, Jodie and around 20 other activists protested at Prime 
Minister Stephen Harper's Calgary office on Wednesday.

Marc, 52, was arrested in 2005 and charged with selling marijuana 
seeds online to U.S. customers.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of drug distribution in exchange for 
a five-year sentence.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom