Archive for the ‘Press Releases’ Category
Police and Thieves
October 8th, 2012
The Daktory
Police and Thieves is an old reggae song. It makes the point that there is no real difference between the two.
At our protest at Waitakere District Court today, police proved the point – they stole our signs, in broad daylight, in front of witnesses.
Members of the protest team placed some signs up against a police car for a photo opportunity. It was Car N71, registration GFB454. We provide this information in case anyone wants to monitor this vehicle. It is also for the benefit of the Police Cyber Crime Unit, who read this blog and complain if false names are disclosed.
A shaven headed cop turned up, grabbed four of our signs, and threw them in the boot of N71. He claimed that the signs were now police property because they were in contact with a police vehicle. One of the signs was – two others had blown to the ground and the cop pulled the fourth sign out of Dakta Green’s hand.
Today’s protest was for Dakta Blaze, arrested for shutting a door behind him when he went outside to talk to the cops, whilst the cops were performing an illegal search of The Daktory.
It could be a long while – his next court appearance is in February for a status hearing.
Once Blaze was finished in court, we set out to track down the brazen thief. All 8 of us went to Henderson police station to lodge a complaint.
The remarkably youthful looking acting desk sergeant told us we would have to complain to the Independent Police Conduct Authority. This was not good enough. The officer was shown images of the thief in the act of committing his crime. He refused to arrest the suspect.
While the acting sergeant continued stonewalling, a chubby cop came downstairs with the signs and handed them over. He didn’t offer an apology – just a stern warning not to let them touch police property again.
Safer communities together. Better work stories. Don’t forget to blow on the pie.
Dakta Green – Guest Speaker
October 8th, 2012
The Daktory
On Saturday Dakta Green was a guest speaker at the Libertarianz annual conference, along with party founder Lindsay Perigo and Auckland councillor Dick Quax. Introduced as “a man of conviction and a man with many convictions,” Dakta Green spoke about his journey from National Party member to law reformer, his prison experiences, and his determination to keep fighting on behalf of the cannabis community.
The Libertarianz believe all drugs should be legal, they support voluntary euthanasia, and they want to reduce the size and scope of government. They have been on the political fringe, but their ideas are spreading – as shown by the campaigns of Ron Paul and Gary Johnson in the USA.
Open Days still open
We had a few people drop by on Sunday and a few more came by trying to buy cannabis – sorry, everyone, the dispensary is closed.
We will be open on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons until further notice. Wednesdays from 7.30 to 10 pm, Sundays from noon to 6 pm. Come and talk to us – help us keep the Daktory alive.
Victories in Court
October 4th, 2012
The Daktory
Some good news from the legal sysem this week. Doug McLeod had a charge withdrawn – the charge of permitting premises to be used for consumption of cannabis. He was charged with this “crime” because he was staying at the Daktory one of the times when it was raided.
Eight people turned up at Waitakere Ditrict Court this wet and chilly morning to support Doug. We got plenty of toots and waves from passing traffic as hundreds of people saw our signs.
They told Doug to be at the court at 9 am, but it was early 10 am before the judge turned up. Why are judges alwys late? In most oher jobs you would get sacked if you were late all the time.
Fortunately, Doug’s case was the first one to be called. The police sought leave to withdraw the charge, and it was all over. A few people clapped, but not loud enough to upset the judge.
Doug stood in the dock, proudly wearing his Freedom is NORML T shirt, and asked for an apology from the prosecutor. The judge told him to take it up with his lawyer, and he was free to go.
We gathered outside the court for another show of signs and more photos – you’ll find some of them on Facebook. Doug called out “Cannabis for sale!” when a cop walked by.
Doug’s next appearance at Waitakere court will be on yet amother bullshit charge. He was arrested or sparking up a solar cone at a previous protest. This is a classic example of how the police try to bully the law reform movement into submission.
Dakta Gizi is back at the Daktory, now that her bail conditions have been changed, and she no longer has a curfew. So no more 5 am curfew checks by the filth – a favorite trick of theirs.
At Monday’s bail hearing, police opposed the changes. They even tried to get Dakta Green’s bail conditions altered, in spite of the fact that it was not his bail hearing. They claimed that “law breaking” is still going on at the Daktory. No comment.
Thanks to the people who replied with information about other court appearances. We don’t know about them unless somebody tells us, and we want to spread the word about any of our people being vicrtimized by the legal system – so keep the info coming.
Huge Crowds At Open Day
Just kidding, folks. It was a very quiet Sunday afternoon at the Daktory, but a few friends dropped by – and nothing bad happened. So we did it again Wednesday evening. Six people turned up this time – all wanting to buy weed. We hd to disappoint them – we can no longer offer that service, and we ask people not to smoke on the premises.
Everything else is still here at the Daktory – the pool table, table tennis, table soccer, darts, chess, snacks and drinks, and hard core Daktivists.
We’re having another open day this Sunday, noon to 6 pm. Come and talk to us about what you would like to see and do at the club. We are open to suggestions.
Become a member and help the Daktory survive. Membership is just $20 a month. If enough people join, we can afford to keep the club running – and get the Cannabus back on the road.
For anyone who would like to donate through automatic payment or online banking, the account number is:
38-9009-0070049-00
Last But Not Least
A big “Thank You” to everyone who has made a donation to the Daktory. Your support will help to make it possible to reopen and to continue the fight for our rights.
The Justice System in Action
September 28th, 2012
The Daktory
Dakta Blaze had to go to court on Thursday on a charge of obstruction, after he closed the door behind him when talking to police last Friday. He and Dakta Green got to court at 8.30 am to find that the police had not got their paperwork together and nothing had been organised. After waiting around for three hours, they finally got a hearing and had the case put off till October 8, when Blaze is appearing on other charges.
This will be at Waitakere District Court, in Ratanui Street, Henderson. We hope that our friends can come to the court and show their support for Dakta Blaze and their outrage at the ridiculous waste of time and taxpayer’s money this case involves. Meet at 8.30 am.
Daktivists will be keeping the courts busy in the near future. On October 1 Dakta Green and Dakta Gizi are in Waitakere court for a call over for their charges arising from the June raid on the Daktory.
On October 5 Doug McLeod will appear in Waitakere court – he is charged with permitting premises to be used for smoking cannabis. This charge was laid because he was staying at the Daktory when it was raided, and he gave the club as his address.
We hope people can also come to this court hearing to protest the ongoing police harassment and time wasting. Meeting time for this protest is also 8.30 am. Doug might demonstrate his legendary solar cone – weather permitting.
Billy McKee’s sentencing date is October 29 in Palmerston North. It is possible that he could be sentenced to prison. Supporters are planning an all night vigil at the court on the night before his sentencing – further details to be advised.
It is important to keep up the pressure on the courts to let them know that the cannabis community will not tolerate the ongoing persecution and injustice directed at our people.
Does The Daktory Have A Future?
September 27th, 2012
The Daktory
Do you want to see the Daktory reopen? It can if enough people are willing to support it.
We are asking our friends and supporters to become members at the modest cost of $20 a month. This will help to cover the outgoings on the building and provide a token of support for the law reform movement – which is still alive despite the many attacks on it.
If you are interested, come along – the Daktory will have an open day this Sunday from noon to 6 pm and an open evening next Wednesday from 7.30-10 pm. Entry is free for both – with a donation bucket if you are feeling generous – and there will be drinks and snacks for sale. All the facilities are still there for members to enjoy – the pool table, table tennis, table soccer, darts and more.
On Sunday we will be screening The Union: The Business of Getting High at 3 pm – an interesting and informative documentary about the cannabis industry. On Wednesday evening there will be an information session about bitcoins.
This is your opportunity to help keep the Daktory alive and to tell us what you would like to see happening at the club. If you have any suggestions for events, activities and improvements, please let us know.
If the Daktory has to close, then all the effort that went into keeping it open for the last three years will have been for nothing – and the law reform movement will lose an outstanding icon and a valuable centre for activism.
The Daktory will have to operate on a different basis than it has in the past. There will no longer be a dispensary, and people will not be able to consume cannabis on the premises. This is due to Dakta Green’s bail conditions – one of the “crimes” he is charged with is allowing the Daktory to be used for consumption of cannabis. If he is found to be in breach of bail, he could be put in jail until his trial, which will not take place until next year.
Of course you can always have a session before you come to the Daktory or go outside for a smoke like people do with cigarettes. And for your own protection, pleaase do not bring any weed into the building – just in case we get a visit from the local chapter of the Government Gang.
Bitcoin Exchange Launched
September 22nd, 2012
The Daktory
The Daktory is now operating a bitcoin exchange service where people can buy and sell bitcoins. It was launched last Wednesday – September 19 – and within a few days there has been a huge amount of interest.
What is a bitcoin? It is a form of electronic currency – instead of a piece of paper or a coin, it comprises a computer code which is securely stored in a bitcoin wallet. It can be accessed on a mobile phone so it is completely portable, and it can only be accessed by the person who owns the bitcoins.
Bitcoins are a legal form of currency that is completely free from interference by governments and banks. They provide total privacy for all kinds of transactions, and they are accepted by many kinds of businesses all over the world.
The Daktory has set up a website – www.coinmarket.co.nz – where you can buy and sell bitcoins, and find more information about them.
More Police Harassment
September 22nd, 2012
The Daktory
Sergeant Jon Winthrop, office in charge of New Lynn police, apparently thinks that harassment of the Daktory is an important mission that needs major resources devoted to it.
His latest outing was on Friday, just two days after the launch of the bitcoin exchange. Winthrop turned up with four other cops and a dog, demanding to search the premises.
Dakta Green’s latest bail conditions state that police can only search the Daktory when he is present, and they have to phone first to ensure that he is there.
At the time of their visit, Dakta Green was in the shower, so Dakta Blaze answered the door. He went outside and shut the door behind him.
Winthrop said they were going to search under the Bail Act and to open the door. Blaze reminded the cops about Dakta Green’s bail conditions, and Winthrop replied that he would count to three and Blaze would be arrested for obstruction if he did not open the door.
Blaze promptly put his hands behind his back and told Winthrop to arrest him. Winthrop asked him if Dakta Green was home, to which Blaze replied that he did not wish to speak to him until he had spoken to a lawyer.
Winthrop then told Blaze he was a “fucking idiot”. Blaze asked Winthrop if he just swore at him, and Winthrop admitted that he did. Blaze was arrested for obstructing police, then charged with breaching bail for being at the Daktory when he arrived at the police station. This was found to be an error with the paperwork and the charge was dropped.
Blaze will be lodging a complaint with the Independent Police Conduct Authority. Meanwhile, the sniffer dog found nothing – again.
Bill of Rights breached by police
April 2nd, 2012
Dakta Zippy
Steve Hopkins is the slimy Fairfax Media hack responsible for Dakta Green being in prison. In January 2010 he was invited to visit the Daktory in hopes that a factual article about the club would appear in the media.
Instead, Hopkins called the police, told them cannabis was being sold at the Daktory, and asked them what they were going to do about it.
He was at it again recently with a story about a “cannabis vending machine” complete with photo, which looked like the same photo that appeared in the Truth earlier this year. The Truth story didn’t generate much response, but Hopkins’s story spread to other media and got too big for the police to ignore. Along the way, Hopkins misquoted Julian’s statements as president of NORML.
Actually, it seemed like there was some co-ordination between police and media – like they had been waiting for the word to spring the raid. In the follow-up report the day after the raid, another Fairfax hack wrote, “The raid comes after Auckland Now revealed yesterday people could buy one gram bags of cannabis for $20 from the vending machine at the clubhouse.”
Gizi, Blaze, Sean and Julian were arrested and face a number of charges – some of which are plainly ridiculous. Their first court appearance was accompanied by a good number of demonstrators outside the court – including Doug McLeod, who came up from Te Puke especially so he could be there. He Sparked up one of his solar cones in front of some cops – and got arrested (once again). Doug has his first court appearance in Henderson on Tuesday, and the Daktory 4 are back in court on April 18.
They will not need to enter a plea at this next appearance, and will be remanded again as the court system begins its painfully slow process.
In the meantime, they have won one legal victory. Their original bail conditions gave police the right to enter the Daktory any time without a warrant. Two District Court judges ruled that this violated a provision of the Bill of Rights that protects people from unreasonable searches.
Speaking of unreasonable searches, a week after the raid the cops hung around near the Daktory in their patrol cars and pulled people over as they were driving away. Drivers and passengers had to give their details to police.
Complaints have been made to the PoliceComplaints Authority about this harassment of club members and visitors.
Losing cash and cannabis to the police is a blow to the Daktory, but the club remains open as usual. The support of club members and friends is especially important at this time.
The Twin Streams restoration project held a barbecue last Saturday with about 40 people attending. They included about 10 people from the Daktory, various members of the local community, and two cops. Dakta Wurzel engaged the cops in conversation for much of the time they were there. They might have learned something about cannabis law reform, if they had been paying attention…
- Harry Cording
Daktory to increase efforts for law change
March 23rd, 2012
Dakta Zippy
The removal of a vending machine from the Daktory has not dampened enthusiasm for cannabis law reform.
At 6.15pm on March 22 seven police officers came to the Daktory. The officers were invited into the building but soon after invoked powers of warrentless search under the Misuse of Drugs Act (1975). They searched club members and four activists were arrested.
Three males and a female were placed in a police vehicle, for up to two hours before being taken to Henderson police station. The four accused were detained until 2.30am at which time they were bailed with charges ranging from possession of cannabis, possession for supply, permits premises to be used, and possession of drug related utensils.
The Daktory remains open for cannabis activists but is no longer providing a vending machine service. The Daktory is still committed to cannabis law reform and will be increasing pressure on MPs to change the law.
Two select committee inquiries and a law commission report have all recommended relaxing the cannabis laws. However, Parliament has failed to implement these recommendations, leading the Daktory and other activist to resort to civil disobedience.
“This raid was a huge waste of taxpayer’s dollars. The Police should have been using this time to deal with threats to the community,” one of the accused, Dakta Blaze said, “People from all over our community come to The Daktory as a safe haven from the black-market, created by prohibition. The Daktory simply makes our community a safer place.”
The raid has only encouraged the Daktory to become more vocal in the fight for legalisation. A protest is planned for March 28 at the Waitakere District Court, 9 am, when the four will make their first appearance.
Dak Benchers meet Back Benchers
November 5th, 2010
Dakta Green
A by-election will be held on November 20 in Mana electorate. Maryjane represented at the TVNZ7 Back Benchers by-election special.
Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party candidate Julian Crawford launched his campaign with an appearance on the Dakta Green hour and later on Back Benchers.