9 ARRESTS AT POT PROTEST

Undercover Officers Move Swiftly To Arrest People Who Police Said Were
Smoking Marijuana Publicly.

TAMPA -- A pro-marijuana rally erupted into a confrontation between police
and demonstrators Saturday afternoon in front of the federal courthouse in
downtown Tampa. Nine people were arrested, one after a scuffle in which
Tampa police officers restrained a suspect on the ground, enraging the
crowd of protesters.

About 60 demonstrators marched several blocks from Lykes Gaslight Park to
the courthouse, in an event billed as "Cannabis 2000: The Millennium
Marijuana March." Similar rallies were held Saturday in 100 cities
worldwide, including St. Petersburg.

For two hours the Tampa protesters had been listening to live music and
browsing among vendors of hemp goods and tie-dyed clothing at the park,
which is next to the Tampa Police Department. Then they marched down
Franklin Street, carrying banners and chanting slogans in favor of
legalizing marijuana.

At the courthouse, they stood on the steps and listened to more speeches.

Four Tampa undercover officers were in the crowd. As they moved to arrest
people who allegedly were smoking marijuana, squad cars pulled to the curb.
The crowd began jeering and moving toward the street.

Those arrested included four juveniles and five adults. Most of them were
handcuffed without incident. One protester tried to break free and was
subdued after a struggle with four officers, during which the protesters
shouted angrily.

"It's never okay to smoke marijuana. That's the law and we're going to
enforce it," Tampa Police Sgt. Tom Wolf said later Saturday.

As the police cars drove away with the suspects, one of the demonstrators
grabbed a megaphone.

"Anybody know why this happened? And how to keep it from happening?"

The crowd bellowed the answer: "Change the law!"