MardiGrass is a

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...

law reform Law reform or legal reform is the process of examining existing laws, and advocating and implementing change in a legal system, usually with the aim of enhancing justice or efficiency. Intimately related are law reform bodies or law commissions, w ...

rally and festival held annually in the town of Nimbin, in north east

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

History

In March 1993, after a decade of raids and arrests, and a particularly intensive recent period of random street searches, arrests and rough treatment, a spontaneous demonstration erupted, and marched to the police station, pelting it with eggs and toilet paper. Negative newspaper reports followed. Nimbin Hemp Embassy (formerly "Nimbin Hemp") members decided to hold a peaceful protest in a non-confrontational atmosphere that ordinary people could comfortably attend, on 1 May 1993. That was the first MardiGrass. (The spelling is that officially used by the MardiGrass Organising Body) The MardiGrass Organising Body (MOB) was formed to manage the event and consists entirely of volunteers. The intention is to hold a MardiGrass every year until prohibition ends.

The first MardiGrass – 1993

In March 1993
Nimbin MardiGrass ''Nimbin MardiGrass History 1996'' (Retrieved 7 May 2010) the Nimbin police station had already been laid siege. Undercover police officers had been discovered buying cannabis in the area. This enraged a small portion of the townsfolk to such an extent that they chased the police officers back to the police station and pelted them with eggs. Concerned about bad publicity some of the townsfolk decided to come up with a more peaceful form of protest that ordinary people could comfortably join. Bob Hopkins (a.k.a.

The Plantem The Plantem is a Nimbin street theatre character created by former Nimbin, New South Wales resident Bob Hopkins, modelled on Lee Falk's Phantom comic book character. The Plantem campaigns against prohibition and joins in the festivities of the Nimbi ...

) was the man who came up with the idea of MardiGrass. On 1 May 1993 people gathered by the local creek for the rally. They also had a good time with their colourful bright clothing coloured with dye of food colouring. Bob, dressed as a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

led the people while blowing on a

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

. There was only a small group at the start (along with a giant joint made of a large sheet and other assorted household goods). The big joint acted as a giant magnet for the townsfolk. By the time they reached the police station they were, by most accounts, over a thousand strong. Shortly after, backup arrived, but not before the media who began to broadcast images of the event to the country and world. The cops found themselves in the unenviable situation of not being able to act against the townsfolk. They were unable to use aggressive force against them on camera, and as such watched on as the protesters marched forward. In the evening of this historic event, Bob Hopkins channelled the spirit of the Plantem for the first time and he and his friends, after adopting Winston Churchill's

V for victory ''V for Victory'', or ''V4V'' for short, is a series of turn-based strategy games set during World War II. They were the first releases for Atomic Games who went on to have a long career in the wargame industry. Like earlier computer adaptions ...

sign, vowed to hold MardiGrass annually until the war on

was over.

Description

The protest rally and parade is held on the first weekend in May, and is the core element of MardiGrass; the centre of a festival weekend containing events such as the Hemp Olympix, including

Joint A joint or articulation (or articular surface) is the connection made between bones, ossicles, or other hard structures in the body which link an animal's skeletal system into a functional whole.Saladin, Ken. Anatomy & Physiology. 7th ed. McGraw ...

Rolling,

Bong A bong (also known as a water pipe) is a filtration device generally used for smoking cannabis, tobacco, or other herbal substances. In the bong shown in the photo, the gas flows from the lower port on the left to the upper port on the right. ...

Throw and Yell and Growers Iron-person events; also including the Nimbin Cannabis Cup, Harvest Ball, Picker's Ball, live music and dance parties. The "Protest Rally and Parade" is held on the Sunday, gathers opposite the police station and then marches away, through the village to Peace Park, accompanied by the traditional "Big Joint" and dancing Ganja Faeries. MardiGrass is a participant in the

Global Marijuana March The Global Marijuana March (GMM), also referred to as the Million Marijuana March (MMM), is an annual rally held at different locations around the world on the first Saturday in May. A notable event in cannabis culture, it is associated with c ...

NimbinMardiGrass.com 2006 MardiGrass Program
(Retrieved 27 December 2006)

Gallery

Image:Mardigrass protest.jpg, Mardigrass protest 2008 Image:Liberate hemp protest.jpg, Mardigrass hemp protest 2008 Image:Mardigrass protest2.jpg, Mardigrass street protest 2008 Image:Mardigrass Joint protest.jpg, Mardigrass joint protest 2008 Image:Mardigrass 2008.jpg, Mardigrass protest 2008 Image:Solar power at Mardigrass.jpg, Solar at Nimbin Mardigrass protest 2008 Image:Individual protest at mardigrass.jpg, Individual Mardigrass protest 2008 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Peace park.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Chorus line.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Mimnjack.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Para Sol Faerie.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Live the high life.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - May queen + consort.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Obama inhales.jpg, MardiGrass 2010 Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Legaslise.jpg, MardiGrass 2010

Sources

External links