MardiGrass
{{Short description|Annual Australian cannabis law reform rally}}
{{other uses|Mardi Gras (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = MardiGrass
| native_name =
| logo = File:MardiGrass_logo.png
| logo_alt = Nimbin MardiGrass text alongside marijuana leaf
| logo_caption = Nimbin MardiGrass logo
| image = File:MardiGrass1.jpg
| alt = Crowd of people at the festival waving flags
| caption = Mardigrass in 2008
| date =
| begins =
| ends =
| frequency = Annually
| location = Nimbin, New South Wales
| first = 1993
| last =
| participants =
| genre = Cannabis law reform rally
| patron =
| website = {{URL|https://nimbinmardigrass.com}}
| footnotes =
}}
MardiGrass is a cannabis law reform rally and festival held annually, since 1993, in the town of Nimbin, in north east New South Wales, Australia.
History
In March 1993, after a decade of raids and arrests, and a particularly intensive recent period of random street searches, arrests and rough treatment, a spontaneous{{dubious|date=November 2024}} demonstration erupted, and marched to the police station, pelting it with eggs and toilet paper. Negative newspaper reports followed. Nimbin Hemp Embassy (formerly "Nimbin Hemp") members decided to hold a peaceful protest in a non-confrontational atmosphere that ordinary people could comfortably attend, on 1 May 1993. That was the first MardiGrass. (The spelling is that officially{{explain|date=November 2024}} (‘officially’ means by the government) used by the MardiGrass Organising Body) The MardiGrass Organising Body (MOB) was formed to manage the event and consists entirely of volunteers. The organisers expressed an intention to hold a MardiGrass every year until prohibition ends.[http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/history.html NimbinMardiGrass.com History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061223234415/http://nimbinmardigrass.com/history.html |date=23 December 2006 }} (Retrieved 27 December 2006)
The first MardiGrass – 1993
In March 1993,[http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/history.html] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061223234415/http://nimbinmardigrass.com/history.html |date=23 December 2006 }} Nimbin MardiGrass Nimbin MardiGrass History 1996 (Retrieved 7 May 2010) the Nimbin police station had already been laid siege. Undercover police officers had been discovered buying cannabis in the area. This enraged a small portion of the townsfolk to such an extent that they chased the police officers back to the police station and pelted them with eggs. Concerned about bad publicity some of the townsfolk decided to come up with a more peaceful form of protest that ordinary people could comfortably join. Bob Hopkins was the man who came up with the idea of MardiGrass.
On 1 May 1993, people gathered by the local creek for the rally. They also had a good time with their colourful bright clothing coloured with dye of food colouring. Bob, dressed as a nun led the people while blowing on a tuba. There was only a small group at the start (along with a giant joint made of a large sheet and other assorted household goods).
The big joint acted as a giant magnet for the townsfolk. By the time they reached the police station they were, by most accounts, over a thousand strong.
Shortly after, backup arrived, but not before the media who began to broadcast images of the event to the country and world. The cops found themselves in the unenviable situation of not being able to act against the townsfolk. They were unable to use aggressive force against them on camera, and as such watched on as the protesters marched forward.
In the evening of this historic event, Bob Hopkins channelled the spirit of the Plantem for the first time and he and his friends, after adopting Winston Churchill's V for victory sign, vowed to hold MardiGrass annually until the war on cannabis was over.
Description
The protest rally and parade is held on the first weekend in May, and is the core element of MardiGrass; the centre of a festival weekend containing events such as the Hemp Olympix, including Joint Rolling, Bong Throw and Yell and Growers Iron-person events; also including the Nimbin Cannabis Cup, Harvest Ball, Picker's Ball, live music and dance parties. The "Protest Rally and Parade" is held on the Sunday, gathers opposite the police station and then marches away, through the village to Peace Park, accompanied by the traditional "Big Joint" and dancing Ganja Faeries. MardiGrass is a participant in the Global Marijuana March.[http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/2006/program06.html NimbinMardiGrass.com 2006 MardiGrass Program] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050616115621/http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/2006/program06.html |date=16 June 2005 }} (Retrieved 27 December 2006)
=''The Plantem''=
The Plantem is a Nimbin street theatre character created by former Nimbin resident Bob Hopkins, modelled on Lee Falk's comic book character The Phantom. The Plantem has been a regular in the festivities of the MardiGrass. Originally played by Hopkins until his death, The Plantem was then played by John Kenneth Taylor until his heath in 2007.{{Cite web |date=2012-02-10 |title=Nimbin MardiGrass - Plantem Funeral|url=https://nimbinmardigrass.com/Plantem_II.html |archive-date=2012-02-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210094822/https://nimbinmardigrass.com/Plantem_II.html |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=web.archive.org}}{{Cite web |title=Australia: Nimbin Farewells Plantem |url=http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n1507/a05.html?2411 |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Media Awareness Project}}{{Cite web |last=Parks |first=Andy |date=2007-12-27 |title=Nimbin mourns loss of Chicken George |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/lismore/nimbin-mourns-loss-of-chicken-george/news-story/001358af60c6a93fd441631ca6aedf36 |url-status=live |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=The Daily Telegraph}} In 2016, Frew Publications, publishers of Lee Falk's Phantom, threatened legal action against the Nimbin HEMP Embassy for use of the character.{{Cite web |last=Echo |first=The |date=2016-07-01 |title=The Ghost who Walks vs the Ghost who Tokes |url=https://www.echo.net.au/2016/07/ghost-walks-vs-ghost-tokes/ |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=The Echo |language=en-AU}} The Plantem remains a mascot of Mardigrass and is featured heavily in promotional material.
Gallery
Image:Mardigrass protest.jpg|Mardigrass protest 2008
Image:Liberate hemp protest.jpg|Mardigrass hemp protest 2008
Image:Mardigrass protest2.jpg|Mardigrass street protest 2008
Image:Mardigrass Joint protest.jpg|Mardigrass joint protest 2008
Image:Mardigrass 2008.jpg|Mardigrass protest 2008
Image:Solar power at Mardigrass.jpg|Solar at Nimbin Mardigrass protest 2008
Image:Individual protest at mardigrass.jpg|Individual Mardigrass protest 2008
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Peace park.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Chorus line.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Mimnjack.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Para Sol Faerie.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Live the high life.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - May queen + consort.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Obama inhales.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
Image:MardiGrass 2010 - Legaslise.jpg|MardiGrass 2010
See also
{{portal|Cannabis|New South Wales}}
Sources
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.nimbinmardigrass.com/ Nimbin MardiGrass]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20061208143819/http://www.hempembassy.net/ganjafaeries/ Ganja Faeries]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070115170246/http://www.hempembassy.net/hempe/ Nimbin Hemp Embassy]
{{Cannabis events}}
{{Cannabis in Australia|state=expanded}}
Category:Festivals in New South Wales
Category:Festivals established in 1993