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Legislative Building grounds go to pot
Retired Winnipeg police officer Bill VanderGraaf (right), a member of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, chats with Marijuana Party of Canada representative Steven Stairs at the annual 4/20 gathering at the legislature. (MELISSA MARTIN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store
They came, they smoked, and they smoked some more.
More than 1,000 people flocked to the Manitoba legislature on Friday afternoon to lounge on the grass, light up the bongs and protest the prohibition against marijuana.
The annual event, which is celebrated around the world, continued its reputation as a largely peaceful affair, with attendees tossing Frisbees and noshing hotdogs between tokes.
April 20, or 4/20, is widely known as the day advocates gather to smoke up to promote the decriminalization of marijuana.
It's also a holiday for public-school students in Winnipeg's English school divisions, but the timing is a coincidence.
History
Updated on Friday, April 20, 2012 at 10:32 PM CDT: Corrects to say it's a day off for public school students in Winnipeg, not all students across the province.
April 24, 2012 at 11:16 PM: Clarifies that it's a holiday in English school divisions
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