by Brian Hioe
語言:
English
Photo Credit: Brian Hioe
CANNABIS DECRIMINALIZATION advocates held a demonstration and fair on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building today. Organizers claimed 2,000 were in attendance. While the demonstration was to mark 420, the rally took place instead today because of the weekend. This is the fifth time such a demonstration has been held in Taiwan, with last year’s demonstration called off due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
The primary organizer of the event was Green Sensation Taiwan. Other groups present included 420 Taiwan, Ghost Island Media, Green Party Taiwan, the Taiwan Renewal Party, UBi Taiwan. Speakers included cannabis decriminalization advocate and lawyer Zoe Lee of the Green Party, and Dr. Kiang. Likewise, there were a number of vendors present, selling paraphernalia related to cannabis. This includes groups selling CBD products ordered from the US. The demonstration began at 12 PM.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
A number of musical acts played at the demonstration, with genres ranging from hip hop to heavy metal. This included PiNkChAiN, O.S.D, BG8Locc, 6yi7, and Orchid Sword. One of the vendors sold drinks in a bong, as a result of which many of the participants had bong-shaped drinks as they walked around.
At 4:20 PM, a march set off from the demonstration for the legislature. The march quieted down when passing National Taiwan University, so as to avoid disrupting the patients there, before resuming shouting slogans once past. The march did not stop at the legislature but passed by before returning to the site of the demonstration on Ketagalan Boulevard.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Speakers were critical of the current policies of the Taiwanese government, with stiff criminal penalties for the possession or sale of cannabis. Speakers called attention to the stigmatization of cannabis users as social deviants when cannabis is just another plant. Moreover, speakers suggested the medicinal and industrial uses of cannabis. The US, western countries, and nearby Asian countries such as Thailand and Japan were emphasized as more progressive than Taiwan regarding cannabis, in spite of Taiwan’s contemporary democratic freedoms.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
As in past years, there was heavy police presence at the rally. Police filmed all that entered the premises, while sniffer dogs checked for the presence of cannabis or drugs. Stalls were searched, particularly if they had toys or paraphernalia that resembled actual cannabis, while police frequently strolled through the demonstration. During the march, barricades were set up to prevent demonstrators from getting too close to the Legislative Yuan.