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News & ArtsFriday, April 20, 2012
War Boulder 4/20 Celebration Could End in Violence
Posted by Cienna Madrid on Fri, Apr 20, 2012 at 8:01 AM
Boulder's 4/20 campus smokeout is infamous, as anyone who attended CU can tell you. Each year for the last decade, a crowd of 10,000+ students, dedicated stoners, once-a-year indulgers, and other Boulder residents have converge on the campus's Ferrand Field to light up in unison on 4/20 at 4:20 pm.
But last week, school officials announced that they're snuffing out the celebration:
To that effect, CU-Boulder plans to bring in a swarm of police officers on Friday to surround the campus and set up checkpoints at key entrances. They intend to prevent unauthorized access to the campus by non-students, and the school said that officers will be issuing tickets for tresspassing that carry fines of $750 and up to six months in jail.Problem is, marijuana protesters in Colorado are more amped up than ever this year, especially with full legalization on the state’s ballot this fall for the first time ever during a presidential election season. An added complication: Demonstrators have held an April 20 protest at CU-Boulder every year for the last decade with very little resistance from the administration.
Meanwhile, protesters say they're not staying home, a lawyer has filed a restraining order to block the university's police-enforced edict, and everyone's bracing for violence.
1
When I lived in Boulder the school would have campus security officers stand around the field as a deterrent, but they never stopped anyone from walking on to the field. And then when there are thousands present, no one gets cited.
One year they did post pictures on a university website and asked students to identify other students for a $50 per head bounty.
Lots of people in the community walk or ride a bike through the CU campus everyday. It's HUGE. Stopping everyone and asking for ID seems like it would cost a lot of money and people.
One year they did post pictures on a university website and asked students to identify other students for a $50 per head bounty.
Lots of people in the community walk or ride a bike through the CU campus everyday. It's HUGE. Stopping everyone and asking for ID seems like it would cost a lot of money and people.
2
Echoing Jonny, this is going to create MUCH worse problems than letting the stoners have their one day. Yeah, it's a distraction and a mob scene, but this is going to tie up traffic all around the campus and therefore throughout the whole city. And they'll probably all start marching and protesting every day, too. Good thinking, dummies.
4
Here's hoping it's a massive hork-fest that Big Brother realizes it's totally powerless to control and just lets the lovely bluesy purple haze envelop the whole city.
5
Meanwhile, on the other side of Denver, Columbine has a slightly more solemn April 20th anniversary.
6
Furthermore, may the Power of the Hork expand and engulf all our leaders and embalm them in a State of Mellow as deep as Jerry Brown's political career be long. May the Hork infect all present and future pols with a Touch of Mellow that endureth and passeth all understanding until the king gives up his crown all Glory Hally Lou.
7
The authorities say they're going to crack down every year, and every year their bark is worse than their bite.
On the other hand, this is less of a "demonstration" of the desire for legalized pot as it is simply another excuse for students to go party.
This silly "smokeout" will do about as much to advance marijuana legality as a group of leather-daddies blowing each other on main street would do for gay marriage equality. It's nothing more than a bunch of stoners doing the same shit they do every day.
On the other hand, this is less of a "demonstration" of the desire for legalized pot as it is simply another excuse for students to go party.
This silly "smokeout" will do about as much to advance marijuana legality as a group of leather-daddies blowing each other on main street would do for gay marriage equality. It's nothing more than a bunch of stoners doing the same shit they do every day.
8
I just can't picture a bunch of stoners starting anything. If there's any violence today, it'll be because campus police have not learned from Pike.
9
@8 That's just the thing, if the police come prepared for violence at a protest, they usually end up causing violence.
10
@9:
And then it becomes a foregone conclusion: anti-legalization forces will inevitably point their fingers at the ensuing violence as a rationale for why pot shouldn't be legalized because of all those "filthy, dirty, violent hippies assaulting our brave, innocent Law Enforcement Officers".
And then it becomes a foregone conclusion: anti-legalization forces will inevitably point their fingers at the ensuing violence as a rationale for why pot shouldn't be legalized because of all those "filthy, dirty, violent hippies assaulting our brave, innocent Law Enforcement Officers".
11
Have to wonder if this is the handiwork of Tom Carr, the prudish city attorney that Seattle exported to Boulder.
13
I just think its kind of sad. No one seems to appreciate the magnitude of this gathering. 10000 different people from all different walks of life gathering peacefully underneath a united flag of smoke. In a world where people are assholes to those they pass on the street simply because life sucks and instead of spending money for law enforcement to be more concerned about Safety on the streets they want to break up the beauty of peaceful comrades armed only with a pipe or paper. The priorities of the government are getting depressing. All the more reason for a smokey celebration
14
Status so far...the protest doesn't usually start until later in the afternoon.
* A district judge rejected requests for an injunction against closing the campus.
* CU and the police have closed the public university's campus to all non-students.
* Police are posted all over, says the Daily Camera.
* Students have to show ID to even enter the campus.
* University staff applied a stinky fish-based fertilizer all over the Norlin Quad, the usual meeting place.
* The Quad itself was closed and taped off by police.
* A 5% tuition increase was approved yesterday because the university doesn't have enough money for, y'know, teaching and stuff. Plenty of money for cops to stifle even a non-smoking political protest and plenty of money for CU administrator bonuses, though.
See http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20…
* A district judge rejected requests for an injunction against closing the campus.
* CU and the police have closed the public university's campus to all non-students.
* Police are posted all over, says the Daily Camera.
* Students have to show ID to even enter the campus.
* University staff applied a stinky fish-based fertilizer all over the Norlin Quad, the usual meeting place.
* The Quad itself was closed and taped off by police.
* A 5% tuition increase was approved yesterday because the university doesn't have enough money for, y'know, teaching and stuff. Plenty of money for cops to stifle even a non-smoking political protest and plenty of money for CU administrator bonuses, though.
See http://www.dailycamera.com/cu-news/ci_20…
15
ZOMG PROTECT US FROM A PLAAAAAAANT!!!
OSSIFER, THE MEAN PLAAAAANT IS TRYING TO GET INTO MY LUUNGS HALP HALP HAAAAALP!!!!11
fer fuck's sake
OSSIFER, THE MEAN PLAAAAANT IS TRYING TO GET INTO MY LUUNGS HALP HALP HAAAAALP!!!!11
fer fuck's sake
16
@3, nope, but my boyfriend did for, like, six years (he really loves to learn). So I've heard a lot of stories.
17
Cienna, not to be a dick but it's spelled 'Farrand' and this shit was moved to Norlin quad 5 years ago or something. I know that neither of those points really mater but for the sake of accuracy...
Also, as silly as it is, pot-smoking culture is a pretty deeply rooted part of Boulder culture in general. I understand how the university doesn't appreciate the association with this event but it is one of those things that makes Boulder & CU the places that they are. If they are successful at keeping this off campus it will just move to another location (likely to the commercial district on the Hill which is almost directly across the street).
@5 I appreciate the reminder, this is probably a pretty shitty day for a lot of Coloradoans.
Also, as silly as it is, pot-smoking culture is a pretty deeply rooted part of Boulder culture in general. I understand how the university doesn't appreciate the association with this event but it is one of those things that makes Boulder & CU the places that they are. If they are successful at keeping this off campus it will just move to another location (likely to the commercial district on the Hill which is almost directly across the street).
@5 I appreciate the reminder, this is probably a pretty shitty day for a lot of Coloradoans.
18
Here come the arrests...
> 2:06pm (mountain) - @CBSDenver: RT @CBS4Tim Our crew in Boulder says 3 CU students just arrested for crossing the police tape & sitting in the quad. #CU420
> 2:06pm (mountain) - @CBSDenver: RT @CBS4Tim Our crew in Boulder says 3 CU students just arrested for crossing the police tape & sitting in the quad. #CU420
20
Watching video there (flaky feed) and on 9News site. Looks like several hundred showed at Boulder CU campus. Protest is non-violent (I never expected protesters to be violent anyway), but there are a *lot* of police, there are helicopters (police? news?), and some arrests, but a much smaller crowd than normal. Apparently an even smaller, non-student protest marched up to the campus, were turned away.
There's another 4/20 protest going on at Civic Center Park in Denver. Larger crowd than Boulder's, maybe a thousand or so. No extreme measures like we saw in Boulder, crowd and police seem mellow.
There's another 4/20 protest going on at Civic Center Park in Denver. Larger crowd than Boulder's, maybe a thousand or so. No extreme measures like we saw in Boulder, crowd and police seem mellow.
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