Pubdate: Thu, 23 Apr 2015
Source: Vancouver 24hours (CN BC)
Copyright: 2015 Vancouver 24 hrs.
Contact: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/letters
Website: http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3837
Author: Kathryn Marshall
Page: 4

CITY TOO LENIENT ON POT LAWBREAKERS

Imagine someone held a convention for lawbreakers and city hall
blocked off some streets to give the convention goers more room.

It sounds pretty ridiculous, right?

But that's what happened on Monday. It was 420, the "celebration" of
pot and cannabis culture which has become an annual traditional
rivalling Earth Day.

Every year on April 20 thousands of marijuana "enthusiasts" descend on
the Vancouver Art Gallery lawn. And this year, Vancouver City Hall and
the police made it easier for them.

As in a few previous years, the city closed Howe Street and for the
first time closed Robson Street as well. So all day on Monday the
easiest route to the Granville Bridge was closed i n order to
accommodate the pot people and their air-polluting, grilled
cheese-fuelled carnival.

For the city to shut down major streets is ridiculous. The city claims
that 420 is technically a protest, but let's face it, it's an annual
party. This year was one of the largest turnouts ever, and included
tons of vendors and food trucks which had to pay a fee to the event
organizers to get a prime location. Any other group trying to organize
a major revenue-generating event such as this would have to apply to
the city for a permit.

Why do the 420 folks get a free pass?

This column isn't about debating the merits of marijuana legalization,
but to draw attention to the fact that city hall has gone from
ignoring this lawbreaking, to condoning it, and now to now pretty much
endorsing it.

Our governments should never condone, much less encourage
lawbreaking.

But Vancouver City Hall takes a different approach - people who are
ideological allies of Mayor Gregor Robertson and Vision Vancouver seem
to get a free pass.

We have seen this sort of free pass from our city before. From
activists occupying public spaces for months and months, to protesting
cyclists slowing traffic to a crawl, and getting a police entourage to
do so.

Time and time again, people breaking the law not only get treated with
kid gloves, they get encouraged by our own city government.

I have said this once and I will say it again.

Imagine if a bunch of people protesting a property tax hike decided to
pitch tents in front of city hall. How long do you think would last?
The cops would have them out of there before nightfall.

It's time for Robertson to stop picking and choosing which laws the
city is going to enforce on which groups of people.
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MAP posted-by: Matt