CAFE 'OPENLY FLOUTING' DRUG LAWS RAIDED BY DOZENS OF CITY POLICE

Da Kine Cafe, a Vancouver head shop that had allegedly been openly
selling marijuana for the past four months, was raided last night by
dozens of police officers.

Const. Sarah Bloor said police executed a search warrant at the cafe
in the 1000-block Commercial Drive at about 6 p.m. Six people were
arrested in the raid that saw undercover police in masks, including
one wearing a T-shirt with "Legalize It" on the front, and other
officers shut down the store.

Bloor said police began investigating the store because owner Carol
Gwilt was "openly flouting" drug laws. Information about evidence and
other possible charges will be announced today.

"It was obvious that these individuals had made this a very public
event," Bloor said. "We felt it was necessary to act . . . this is an
illegal act. We will uphold the law."

And act they did.

A one-block stretch of the Drive was shut down between Parker and
Napier, obstructing rush-hour traffic and forcing business owners to
close. Crews filming Fantastic Four on Napier, complete with set
pieces designed to make the street look like Brooklyn, shut down the
shoot for the night.

A crowd of about 100 quickly gathered at police roadblocks at each end
of the block to heckle officers, at times turning their attention to
the media, also hemmed in by barricades.

Shouts of "Go home," "Legalize Marijuana" and "We support Da Kine
Cafe" sounded from behind the barricades, along with creative strings
of profanity and assorted verbal abuse. Several protesters smoked
joints in front of police.

Pot activist David Malmo-Levine vowed to continue the resistance today
with a marijuana smokeout in front of the store at 11 a.m., followed
by a news conference by Da Kine management at 1 p.m.

"We are not going to let this go down. This place is going to open
again," Malmo-Levine said to cheers.

"I think it's a sad thing," said 32-year-old Shiraz Dindar of the raid.

"I feel empathy for the police because they are human beings. But as
human beings, your responsibility is to be true and do what is right.
What is happening here today is wrong."

The raid came one day after Solicitor-General Rich Coleman, a former
Mountie, said the open sale of drugs at the cafe was unacceptable and
that something would be done. He was not available for comment last
night.

Bloor insisted the raid had nothing to do with political pressure.

"We are here today to uphold the rule of law," she said, adding that
police enjoyed the "overwhelming support" of neighbours.

A second establishment less than 40 metres from Da Kine is also
allegedly selling marijuana, but that business was not raided.

"That's not to say it isn't on our radar," Bloor noted.

Earl Sunshine, 36, said he had bought pot from Da Kine dozens of times
for a medical need he did not disclose. Although the cafe was selling
marijuana over the counter, it actually deterred dealers, Sunshine
said. "It cleans up the community," he said.

"When they opened, [street dealers] all closed down."

A city hall business licence hearing originally scheduled for Sept. 15 has
been postponed to Oct. 6. after Da Kine hired a lawyer. The panel of three
city councillors will decide what to do with the cafe's business licence,
which allows it to offer limited food service and sell books, gifts and
clothing. It had been selling an array of pipes and rolling paper, as well
as marijuana for $10 a gram.