FERGUSON INVITED TO 'SPARKING OF CEREMONIAL DOOB'

Marijuana activist Tim Felger has invited Mayor George Ferguson to the
"sparking of the ceremonial doob" on Saturday, May 4.

But if the mayor was impressed with the invitation, it didn't show at
Tuesday's Abbotsford Police Board meeting.

Felger, who is facing charges in connection with a raid by the Abbotsford
Police emergency response team on his Bradner property in January, appeared
before police commissioners to recite a lengthy manifesto on the theme of
legalizing marijuana and ending the war on drugs.

He also didn't impress board members and uniformed police when he displayed
his collection of antique and collectable police insignia, as an indication
of his support for law enforcement officers. It included a serial-numbered
badge of the former Matsqui Police that some police brass suspected was stolen.

However, a check of computer records by Deputy Chief Paul Tinsley did not
confirm if the badge was stolen or not.

Felger said he purchased the badge from a former police officer at a flea
market.

The marijuana activist plans a rally on May 4 at 1 p.m. at Mill Lake, and a
Million Marijuana March to city hall at 2 p.m. At 4:20 p.m., a ceremonial
"doob," or marijuana cigarette, will be lit.

Ferguson, who is police board chairman, gave Felger 10 minutes for his
presentation, and at its conclusion board members had no comment expect to
ask Felger if he had a permit for his gathering.

"What concessions are you willing to give me?" he asked.

He plans a marketing campaign in conjunction with the event with the theme
Ya, Tim Sounds Like Fun, with buttons and banners.

He asked the mayor to be a speaker on "Liberation Day," and said: "Before
we lose the freedoms we as Canadians value so dearly, we must end this war
on drugs. I would compare Mr. Ferguson's job to that of a Grand Marshall of
a goat parade. We the people of Abbotsford have asked you to lead us, I
think you know the direction we need to go, but there are a lot of
strong-minded special interest groups that want to go their own way for
their own reasons."

He told the Abbotsford News after the meeting that "with or without a
permit, we're going on May 4.

"I've got freedom of assembly. If they want to take it to the Supreme Court
to see if I have that freedom, we'll do that."