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5,000 attend Diag rally; 68 arrested

The beating of drums, large clouds of thick smoke floating over diverse crowds of supporters and onlookers, T-shirt hawkers, police officers, and of course the pungent smell of marijuana signaled only one thing -- it was Hash Bash time again.

The Easter holiday and the chilly afternoon did not slow the roughly 5,000 people who crowded the Diag to hear 10 speakers sing the praises of marijuana and blast the government, president and police officers for trampling on the rights of Americans, from noon until l p.m. Saturday.

"The war on drugs is a war on the Bill of Rights," proclaimed marijuana legalization advocate Marvin Marvin.

Some of the afternoon's headline speakers included Chef Ra of High Times Magazine, the "Lone Reefer" and Dan Vites of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

This year's 25th annual Hash Bash also had a historical focus, highlighted by the remarks of local Ann Arbor activist John Sinclair.

Sinclair was arrested in 1969 for possession of two joints and sentenced to 10 years in prison, but fought the charge to the Supreme Court. He was released from prison after 2 1/2 years and his legal battle prompted the change of strict marijuana penalties.

"My role was to challenge the unconstitutionality of these laws," Sinclair said. "We thought it was important to get high -- we still do. If it makes you happy and doesn't hurt anyone else, go ahead."

Sinclair said the more lenient marijuana laws that took effect after the end of his legal battle in 1971 have prooved that pot smokers everywhere should not face harsh government restrictions and penalties. "We've had 25 years of $5 tickets -- and now $25 tickets -- and nothing has happened," he said. "The city hasn't crumbled: It's a beautiful day and people here are smoking pot -- so what?"

While the bash's speakers preached their beliefs, organizers, supporters and students smoked pot in a variety of ways. Organizers and onlookers on the steps of the Graduate Library defiantly puffed away at large joints behind the makeshift podium.

Others invented ways to hide their smoking from the more than 60 Department of Public Safety, Michigan State Police and Washtenaw County Sheriff's officers patrolling the Diag, by planting it in tobacco and clove cigarettes.

DPS reported 68 arrests, mostly for possession of marijuana, public intoxication or illegal merchandising. DPS Sgt. Jesse Lewit said this year's Hash Bash was not more rowdy or problematic than usual. "They all start looking the same after a while," he said.

The Ann Arbor Police Department also patrolled off-campus areas around the Diag during Saturday's festivities. Sgt. Chris Heatley estimated that AAPD made five arrests and handed out 20 marijuana-related violations. "For the most part, the crowd was very peaceful," he said.

Hash Bash organizer Adam Brook said he was pleased with this year's turnout. "There are a lot more people smoking -- ha ha -- I mean, supporting marijuana, than those trying to stop it," he said.

The Bash had a mixed effect on those students who witnessed most of the hour's events. "I was surprised by the sincerity of those who organized it," said LSA first-year student Tom Dillen. "Hash Bash was a lot more than just an excuse to smoke pot."

Other students focused more on the Bash's recreational marijuana use than its political message. "This whole thing makes me want to smoke dope," said one first-year LSA student who did not want his name published.

The Hash Bash came to an abrupt end at 1:07 p.m. when DPS officers pulled the plug on the University's electrical feed that powered the public address system. Hash Bash organizers responded by starting their own generator to maintain the sound system's power. Sheriff's Office officials then moved in and made organizers shut the generator down, stating that it violated Hash Bash's University-issued permit.

Brook responded to the shutting down of the generator by saying the officers didn't understand the rules they were supposed to be enforcing. "Obviously this great University can't follow their own policies."

Brook said that while the permit prohibited the use of a generator, the permit had expired at 1 p.m. "I was surprised they didn't arrest me when we turned the generator on," he said. "But after one, our permit was over and what we did was fair game."

Hash Bash supporters adjourned to an "after-party" at Dominick's Restaurant on Monroe Street after the hour of speeches. The organizers' petition in U.S. District Court to close Monroe Street for the afternoon was successful, but the decision by Judge Denise Hood came too late for the group to obtain the necessary $500,000 personal injury and $50,000 property damage liability insurance. The decision was handed down at 12:04 p.m. on Friday, four minutes after all Ann Arbor insurance companies had closed in observance of Good Friday, Brook said.

Local businesses said Hash Bash had improved business. "There's definitely more foot traffic through here," said Brent Bartman, a manager at Wherehouse Records on South University Avenue. "Some people come just to look and there has been more T-shirt and poster sales than anything else, but there is more business than on a usual Saturday."