Worthing Hassles

[shug]

From: www.ccguide.org.uk

Sent: Wednesday, August 06, 2003 10:03 AM

Subject: [candlist] Worthing

Most of you will be aware of the terrible arrests and persecution that is

on-going in Worthing as a result of the police vow to close cannabis cafes.

Note that these attacks by the police centre around Buddies - the other

cafe which is more secure and harder to enter and more like a speak easy,

don't seem to be under threat every single day by the police.

Attacks include

arrest of cafe workers outside cafe

including dragging a pregnant woman out of a new agent and putting her life

at risk (seriously!) and that of her unborn child by ignoring her in the

police cells whilst she was bleeding

harassment of Chris Baldwin, Winston Matthews, Sarah Chalk, Keith Chalk,

Trevor Scott, Rob Scott-Wright, and Andy of aseasyasacb, as well as others

removal of stock from Buddies head shop including LCA literature, Green

Britain videos and even From Dot to Cleopatra (my own book on history of

Ancient Egypt which has nothing to do with cannabis)

removal of LCA political literature from arrestee's cars and home

removal of computers

and now

strip search of a woman in the street in full view of the general public

raiding pub across the road

also confiscation of medical cannabis and medical records and harassment of

medical users

Chris Baldwin is banned from the cafe

Winston is banned from Worthing

Worthing area locals battle on..

question is what are WE going to do about this?

Alun

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Subject: Re: [candlist] Worthing

Hello Fellow Criminals!

A further report from a 'besieged Worthing', Keith Chalk, the friend of Worthing Koffeeshops who has been singled out by the local constabulary for special attention, found himself arrested today at an address very close to the koffeeshop, next door ish. The police took Keith to the local 'holding' centre, a place I am familiar with it's brand new, sterile and very, very secure. They held him because they said he was in breach of his bail conditions. He was taken to Worthing court where he was reminded of his bail conditions and then banned from going into Brougham Road, where Buddies Cannabis Cafe is situated.

They also re-arrested him as he left the building, they went back to the 'holding' centre where he languishes as I write this email, 19.45 PM.

Further to this the police have informed the group that they will be coming to the cafe every day from 11.00am right through to 6.00pm, for the foreseeable future.

What an incredible waste of police manpower!

Don do you have access to any national paper? I said before they are infringing on our civil liberties and our Human Rights. They are denying me access to (and others in my situation) the only place where I can get my medication.

I know MY Human Rights are being eroded by thoughtless, inept and inconsiderate police action. Their actions are brutal and in no way reflect the opposition. What makes this even more distasteful is that the police are aware of the philosophy and political nature of the whole venture, It's run by disabled people for the benefit of other disabled and disadvantaged people. The police know this and they are still pursuing this vendetta over a plant, or in my case a muffin, where's the sense, logic or plain old common sense in that proposal?

Please send them your support

Any ideas, comments or pledges of help would be gratefully received.

I write this on behalf of all the good people in Buddies koffeeshop who are doing a magnificent job in the face of severe provocation. They are dignified, good humoured, lovely people who are under enormous stress to fight for the right to use and consume cannabis.

Please spare them a thought and a kind word.

Love and Peace

Rob

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WORTHING UPDATE

Today I have just received a telephone call to inform me that there are 8

police officers and 2 police vans outside Buddies Koffeeshop.

We made a joint decision to have the day off today, especially after

yesterdays high police presence and the warning that "we will be back, every

day if necessary, to make sure that we close you down"

This has made everyone involved in the koffeeshop project most on edge. As

well as Chris Baldwin having bail conditions to keep away from Buddies, now

Keith and Sarah Chalk have also been given the same conditions.

This is making it increasingly difficult to open the koffeeshop on a regular

basis. We need any helpful suggestions we can get so if anyone knows the

way forward we really would appreciate any help we can get.

Peace to all

Sarah Chalk

[Vlad (the impala)]

-sussex police up to their old tricks again? - saw them beating the crap out of innocent protesters at The Shoreham animal rights demos in '95 - they rely on sheer force of numbers, and lack of "available witnesses" to their brutality - I saw them single out a little girlie (about 15) - separated her from her companions - one yelled "see that, she kicked me" (which she definitely hadn't)-then she disappeared into a scrum of battledressed plod - I heard her screams and her arm breaking -I got beaten up by the MET for daring to take photos......... To my mind, had I had the power of the internet then, my photos and video footage would have gone online for the world to judge! Do it - always have someone with still/video equipment - use it, then shove it on the net....then just spread the website address far and wide. They are ignorant pigs, led by vicious fuckwits - catch the bastards doing it wrong - that shouldn't be difficult, 'cos they will! The best of luck brave people - and if you happen to corner some of the met.........

[I_L_M_G]

Fucking right. Film them, photograph them. Post it on the net. Make posters of it and put all over town. Call the local paper. Write to your local paper about these monsters.

I've seen the way the police behave when we went to RAF Fairford. They behaved exactly like is described above. My kids (4 & 6) were there on a peaceful protest, and the only people I kicking off were the pigs when they charged through knocking over my kids and scaring them shitless.

I have seen so many smug nasty coppers harrassing people and it makes me quite sick.

Organise a protest in worthing. Ask people to turn up en-mass at weekends to voice opinion/toke. You need support. Take them on direct. Keep doing it every weekend for as long as it takes. Make Worthing the next centre of focus for legalisation. Make it hit the headlines big time like in Stockport. I am sure that the hype surrounding weed then did nothing but raise support for the cause. People get to see normal people talking about it and smoking it. People see determined people that don't go away and keep coming back giving it prolonged coverage. It's the only way. Brute force, numbers and persistance.

I think the government have deliberately played whole thing down so they can behave heavy, whilst not getting very much publicity for it. I think publicity is the last thing they want and the best thing we need.

Martin.

[Vlad (the impala)]

-and how do they get away with it? - when I complained about my beating, I was asked if I could id the officers - fucking difficult, as they had their id numbers hidden or absent, and had their faces covered! As I couldn't id them, I didn't have a complaint!

Its old tactics, dreamt up by Thatcher in the miner's strike - daemonise the protesters - then the Daily Mail readers will shrug their shoulders at the brutality!

[I_L_M_G]

More to the point though this topic should not be left to drift. Support for Worthing needs to be drummed up.