ARRESTS AT PROTEST

Young people accused police of being too heavy-handed in their
handling of a peaceful, pot-smoking protest against marijuana laws.

Red Deer RCMP arrested two people and hauled at least one of them away
in handcuffs during the annual demonstration in City Hall Park on
Tuesday, said observers.

About 20 officers waded through the crowd of about 350 and confiscated
marijuana pipes and joints.

Several officers videotaped the demonstrators as they socialized and
passed around joints for several minutes.

The young people said police treated them like criminals and wasted
time in cracking down on a peaceful gathering.

"It's a waste of people's tax money and the police resources," said
Nathan Gartner, a 22-year-old college student who has smoked pot for
five years.

Gartner and his friends said marijuana is a natural, plant-derived
substance that can relax people, stimulate their creativity and
encourage them to look at things differently.

"It's about having the freedom to choose. If you're not hurting anyone
else, it should be allowed," said Dana Reglin, a 23-year-old college
student who added she doesn't smoke pot.

But RCMP Insp. Peter Calvert said the police have a duty to uphold the
law.

The government may be moving toward more lax marijuana laws, but
possession is still illegal, said Calvert.

"If someone breaks the law on the front steps of City Hall, we will
take action," he said.

"We had a group of people gathering for an illegal purpose and we have
to respond."

Calvert said he didn't know the circumstances behind the arrest of the
two young people. One of them was released without charges being laid.
The other may be charged for possession, said Calvert.

The Liberal government has proposed decriminalizing simple possession
of pot, and replacing criminal sentences with fines.

But the young people said that's not enough. They believe pot should
be legal, and its sale should be regulated by the government.

For instance, pot could be sold like alcohol and cigarettes to people
over a certain age, said a demonstrator who didn't want to be
identified. The government could tax marijuana and stop gangs from
controlling the sales, she said.

The pot protest is an annual event held in Canada and elsewhere on
April 20 at 4:20 p.m. The date and time are based on the number 42,
which in the science fiction novel The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy
is said to represent the ultimate answer to life.

The first annual protest at City Hall Park was held in 1998.

Young people said the police presence was the highest this year.