DESPITE WARNINGS, SOME STILL INHALED

Earnest activists, political candidates and stoners just looking to "chill
and smoke some weed" assembled on Boston Common yesterday around one common
theme: Decriminalize marijuana.

"It's just the pursuit of freedom," said Ronald Byers Jr., 26, of
Billerica, who admitted smoking some pot yesterday. "It's time to legalize
it. Many millions of Americans smoke it. Why hide it anymore?"

One of the reasons to hide it was the Boston police. They had a large
uniformed presence at the rally, and undercover officers roamed through the
crowd, making arrests.

Sixty-one people were arrested and taken to the Area A station near
Government Center by the time the five-hour rally officially ended at 5
p.m. That number was less than half last year's count of 150.

There were no violent confrontations between the police and the pro-pot
crowd. Officers demonstrated restraint while being baited with "oink, oink"
chants from rallyers, particularly Bill Downing, president of rally sponsor
MassCann (short for cannabis).

Downing donned a pig nose and shouted "oink, oink" while walking behind
undercover officers, giving warning to his followers.

At one point, a frustrated officer told Downing to "get the (expletive)
away" and then hauled him in to the festive yellow-and-white police booking
tent set up behind the stage.

Police commanders acknowledged that Downing had not actually violated the
law and turned him loose despite his vow to continue the "oink, oink" routine.

However, just as Downing had pointedly followed the undercover officers,
two uniformed officers shadowed Downing the rest of the day, making it
impossible for him to partake in any illegal smoking.

As with many aspects of the rally, it was difficult to get a straight
answer to the question of how many people were there. Police said 35,000; a
MassCann spokeswoman said 50,000; Downing said 100,000.

Last year, approximately 60,000 turned out for the rally, and 150 were
arrested.

Police Department spokeswoman Sgt. Margot Hill spent much of last week
urging rallyers to forget about smoking pot because of this year's "zero
tolerance" policy.

"It's been very peaceful," said police spokesman Kevin Jones as the event
wound down yesterday. "Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. People
were warned about zero tolerance, and they do it (smoke) at their own peril."

There was no shortage of people who took that risk.

In pipes, joints, blunts (cigars) and a gas mask outfitted for smoking,
hundreds broke the law while keeping a wary eye out for law-enforcement
officials.

One young man had draped around his shoulders a boa constrictor, whose head
was wrapped around a cigar tube. The man said there was no pot in the tube.
No one checked.

Dressed in a red, white and blue top hat and a star-spangled blazer, Robert
Robinson of New Paltz, N.Y., handed out fliers for his Harvest Fest '98
next weekend near Lake George.

Robinson described himself as the founder and president of the New York
State Cannabis Action Network, while his friend piped up, "He's not just
the president. He's also a client."

Dan the Bagel Man, a pushcart vendor and a Boston Common fixture for many
years, turned up the heat in his campaign for Boston City Council. He
strolled through the throng, handing out fliers proclaiming, "Dan the Bagel
Man for City Council 1998" -- even though the election actually is in 1999.

Dan's literature heralded his campaign platform succinctly: "I inhaled (and
I will do it again). I have been arrested for my beliefs (and I will do it
again). I have had sex with different partners (and I will do it again)."

Copyright 1998 Boston Herald, Inc.

Checked-by: Richard Lake