Photo: Taisia Antonova, Mosnews.com [Attachment link above will pull up photo below]
2nd article farther down says 30 arrests occurred.
MOSNEWS, Russia article.
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2004/05/04/hemp.shtml
Twenty Protesters Detained at Unauthorized Legalize Cannabis Rally
Created: 04.05.2004 18:23 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 19:48 MSK
MosNews
Police detained twenty protesters at the unauthorized “World Hemp March” in central Moscow. City administration had refused to grant a permit to the organizers of the march, citing violations of state law that forbids illicit drug propaganda. Despite this, a number of people came to the previously announced meeting place at 3 pm Moscow time intending to participate in the demonstration and rally for the legalization of marijuana, only to be detained. A police spokesperson said that those detained will be released in the course of several hours, once their transgressions are documented, RIA Novosti reported.
The organizers of the march had spread the information about the meeting place and time before obtaining a permit from the city administration — which they were later refused. When the organizers of the march had learned that the rally was forbidden by the city administration, they had announced on Echo Moskvy radio that they could not promise to call off the march due to the amount of people informed about the upcoming event. Flyers about the march were still spread after the march was banned by Moscow authorities.
The rally was to be timed to demonstrations for the legalization of cannabis in 350 countries around the world.
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-----another media article begins-----
ITAR-TASS, Russia
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=775183&PageNum=0
RUSSIA
Moscow police detain a group rallying for light drugs legalization
04.05.2004, 18.38
MOSCOW, May 4 (Itar-Tass) - Police in Moscow have detained a group of about 30 young people holding an unauthorized rally for legalization of what some believe to be “light drugs”, sources at the information department of Moscow Interior said.
At around 16:00 Moscow time (12:00 GMT) the picketers opened their action, which by codenamed the Hemp March, by unfolding several slogans on the downtown Stary Arbat mall.
They turned out reluctant to heed the police explanations that they did not have the authorities sanction for the rally.
The police took them to the nearest interior department, where protocols on their misdemeanor were filled out.
Source said there was no information on whether or not the young people might be affiliated with informal movements.
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