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by Jay
on Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:22 pm |
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I searched to see if this was already posted. But I'm surprised this info from Michael McFadden isn't on here.
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In Britain this coming Sunday, HUNDREDS of pubs/bars will stand strong in Defiance of their newly enacted nation-wide smoking ban. We must all, across the globe support our Brit friends to stop this wave of Governmental Intrusion into business and personal choice. This Sunday, we Defenders of Choice in Hawaii will stand tall in DEFIANCE to our own Draconian smoking ban, and we encourage all troopers in all the many battlefronts across the planet to do the same on Sunday. In a show of worldwide SOLIDARITY this event will kickoff WORLD DEFIANCE DAY, the day when smokers and their friends will stand up to unjust and ill-based regulations that go beyond all reason. Our movement in Hawaii has been watched and covered worldwide as we set major precedents in our recent battle and nearly pulled off the legislative upset of the decade. Here is our own strategy for this momentous event coming up. We invite you to follow the same so as to provide a consistency worldwide. Remember, there is power in numbers and consistency.
1. Choose just ONE bar per town/city where the event will take place unless you are sure enough of overwhelming support to support several. There is power/impact in VISUAL numbers. Impact will be far greater with 100 defiant smokers at ONE place vs. a handful scattered over 20 bars.
2. Make and announce the primary time for the event for TWO HOURS so all can be there at once in a short time frame. The Defiance can go on throughout the day, but those two hours will mark the concentration when smokers can depend on the maximum number of supporters and the media will know there'll be something colorful to film.
3. This event in Britain caught us all by surprise, so we haven't had that much time to prepare, but that is okay...every revolution started with a handful of crusaders... Where it will go from here is unknown. If British pubs stand strong in their resistance the English ban will fall, followed quickly by the Scottish and Welsh, and soon thereafter by the suffering Irish. In America the Defiance and resistance will be more on a city and state by state level, but inspired by their friends "across the pond" we may begin to see significant ignoring and rolling back of American bans as well. So get on the horn/email and get a hold of as many people you can that smoke (cigs/pipes/cigars/rollers). Don't forget their friends either! Remember, many nonsmokers also believe that the antismoking lobby has gone too far: very few actually support denying smokers ANY choice of indoor space to gather! Here in Honolulu, we expect close to 200 to show this Sunday!! It's gonna be a blast of a Smoke In.
4. Media coverage is KEY. Once the media realizes this is a coordinated WORLDWIDE event involving thousands of citizens in countries around the world, they will show us much more respect and will desire to cover it with a story that is far less biased than normal. This event will also show our opposition that this battle is going to be a tough one...we are now SOLIDIFIED WORLDWIDE...no more push-overs. We CAN turn the tide! As Mike McFadden of the Smokers Club has said, "Bans are NOT Inevitable!!!"
5. Contact your local media (TV, radio, print, internet-mag) via a personal call or a short note (press release). The Press Release should be short and sweet. Feel free to copy, use, and build on the below:
"On July 1, 2007, hundreds of pubs in Britain will stand in Defiance to their
new nationwide smoking ban. This date, a true Day Of Defiance, also marks the first WORLD
DEFIANCE DAY. In a show of support for
our Brit friends and to show worldwide solidarity for our movement
to Defend Freedom of Choice, we smokers and friends in _____________(town/
city) will also stand in DEFIANCE to our own smoking ban. WORLD
DEFIANCE DAY will be celebrated this Sunday at __________(bar/pub)
between __________(time) and therafter. You are more than welcome to witness
this momentous event as we continue our battle against the ever
growing and alarming reality governmental intrusion into our daily
personal, private and business lives. Our battle cry/motto is Martin
Luther King's bold statement many years ago, "ONE HAS A MORAL
OBLIGATION TO DISOBEY UNJUST LAWS". This law is indeed unjust.
By the way, we WILL be smoking!!!!
6. Have a bright conspicuous 4x8 banner made and hung in the front of the
establishment...something to the effect..."WORLD DEFIANCE DAY! Defenders
of Freedom of Choice! We stand United. Smok'em Up...use your imagination,
but just make sure WORLD DEFIANCE DAY is somewhere on the banner...
remember CONSISTENCY!!!
For questions/advice feel free to contact:
Michael J. McFadden Cantiloper@aol.com
Samantha Phillipe The Smokers Club, Inc. (info@smokersclub.com )
Garnet Dawn IllinoisSmokersRights.com (GarnetDawn@comcast.net )
Jolyn Tenn HawaiiSmokersAlliance.com (jTenn10@aol.com)
Dave Crowley TheSmokeVote.com (kawikc@aol.com) |
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Jay
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Jun 10, 2003
Posts: 647
Location: Chicago
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by cricket
on Sun Jul 01, 2007 1:05 pm |
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| I'm keeping my fingers crossed Jay. Let's hope it works, if enough of us are involved, it WILL! |
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cricket
Toker
Joined: Apr 29, 2006
Posts: 109
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by Colin
on Sun Jul 01, 2007 2:44 pm |
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The Defiance at The Swan in Bolton, England went off without a hitch. People smoked indoors, as planned, surrounded by the press. The police showed up, entered the pub, wandered around looking at the people smoking, didn't say a word to anyone, then left.
I should add that smoking indoors is not a matter for the police.
What surprised me was that the enforcement gestapo didnt bother to show up. We have been telling them when, why, who and where for the last six weeks....
Tony and the gang smoked as normal over at The Dog Inn in Hereford and I reported that event here:
http://www.freedom2choose.co.uk/news_viewer.php?id=263
I will pass on any other news as it unfolds. |
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Colin
Smoker
Joined: Jul 03, 2006
Posts: 158
Location: Banff, Scotland
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by Colin
on Sun Jul 01, 2007 3:26 pm |
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This, just in.....
read the article
SMOKERS held a last-gasp protest against new legislation tonight - by lighting up en-masse in a town centre pub.
Hundreds of people flocked to The Swan in Churchgate to join landlord Nick Hogan in voicing their objections at new laws which ban smoking in public places.
Mr Hogan has vowed to openly defy the ban, claiming it is in an infringement on his customers' human rights.
But although police were on hand in case of any public disturbance, council officers were not present and it is not yet known what action - if any - will be taken.
Bolton Council said the demonstration at The Swan Hotel was "regrettable" but, remarkably, it added: "The landlord is entitled to hold a protest if he wishes."
It has also said a "softly softly" approach to enforcing the smoking ban will be taken. Local authority chiefs are confident the ban will be self-policing and have vowed to remain "non-confrontational."
Rather than focusing on issuing the £50 fixed penalty notices, Town Hall staff have been working to raise awareness of the ban and providing help and support to local businesses in implementing the legislation.
There were protests in other parts of the country too including the Miners Arms in Bristol where smokers wore "smoking jackets" because the pub is on a busy road and at The Dog Inn in Ewys Harold near Hereford where the landlord Tony Blows said he was prepared to go to court. The Smokers Arms in Grimsby was also, ironically, now smoke free.
In Bolton, as smoke filled the air in his pub tonight, Mr Hogan, the 40-year-old landlord of the Swan, said: "This is about freedom of choice. It is not about promoting cigarettes but democracy being taken away.
"I want the coucil to put a fine on me so I can challenge the legislation in court and I believe I have a case.
"There should be smoking areas and non-smoking areas in pubs, or smoking venues and non-smoking venues. But to put a blanket ban on freedom is totally wrong."
A statement issued by the council stated: "We would not encourage anyone to deliberately flout the law.
"The smoke free legislation is now in force and we will be monitoring the situation at The Swan and at premises across the borough."
It said the ban which came into effect at 6am today would improve people's health and encouraged smokers to give up.
England is the final part of the UK to introduce the legislation, after Wales and Northern Ireland in April and Scotland last March. The Republic of Ireland made the move three years ago.
It is now against the law to smoke in virtually all enclosed and substantially enclosed public places and workplaces.
Bill Gibson, a non-smoker, travelled to Bolton from Scotland to protest against the ban. He said: "I feel I should support the protest because I have seen the effects this has had on communities in Scotland. Some working mens clubs are finding it very difficult to survive, and they can't plough money back into community events."
Alan Ainscow, aged 52, from Bromwich Street, Bolton, said: "What the government has done is wrong because they do not have the mandate to do it. The government was put in power by the people, but people do not want this. It is not democratic."
Diana Wilson, aged 42, from Bolton, said: "People are fighting this ban because it has taken away our freedom. Non-smokers have a choice to go in to pubs or not."
Owners and managers of pubs, clubs and cafes are legally bound to enforce the ban and face fines of up to £2,500 if they fail to do so.
Anyone caught smoking illegally will be given a fixed penalty notice of £50 - reduced to £30 if paid in 15 days - or fined up to £200 if they are prosecuted and convicted by a court.
Deborah Collinson from Bolton Primary Care Trust said: "This will be the biggest benefit to people's health that this country has seen."
Cllr Rosa Kay, executive member for adult social care and health, said: "We believe the vast majority of people will abide by the law and countries that have already gone smoke-free have recorded a high compliance figure." |
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Colin
Smoker
Joined: Jul 03, 2006
Posts: 158
Location: Banff, Scotland
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by BWilliams
on Sun Jul 01, 2007 4:34 pm |
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Colin;
I modified your post to include the actualt text of the article, as sometimes these articles get removed/archived. |
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BWilliams
Smoking Lobby Sponsor
Joined: Jun 05, 2003
Posts: 1104
Location: New York City
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by Jay
on Sun Jul 01, 2007 10:06 pm |
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Here's a summary of the Defiance Day I received. Written by Blad. I just wrote comments on this day in my blog.
http://pro-choicesmokingdoctor.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_archive.html
I attended Freedom to Choose’s second Day of Defiance at The Swan pub, Churchgate, Bolton, Lancashire, UK on 1st July 2007 and what a great event it was. Well, I say what a great event it was, but in fact it’s due to continue until 4 am tomorrow morning (July 2nd).
Nick Hogan, the landlord, reported that on the evening and night of 30th June his establishment was almost completely packed with about 700 attending and following on from a briefing provided earlier in the day for other pub landlords and the press.
To-day’s event commenced at about 12 midday and by about 2 pm the Swan was pleasantly filled with a fluctuating crowd of about 300 people from all over the UK. Freedom to Choose members were drawn from Scotland (quite a few) and Wales with one even turning up from Northern Ireland. English locations represented were: Nottingham, Leicester, Cambridge, Peterborough, Bolton and Manchester.
There were also a lot of non Freedom to Choose members too (and of course) and some had come specially from Manchester and other towns and cities surrounding Bolton to attend the event.
There was a superb traditional jazz band which played throughout most of the afternoon and a particularly colourful performance was given by the Accrington Scottish Pipe Band which was most stirring for the soul.
The press appeared to be there in abundance as well although this writer studiously avoided them preferring instead to leave the task of speaking to them to others more gifted in that department. Some of the “defiers” even wore imaginative rigouts with a cowboy flavour which provided excellent material for press photographs. It was good too to hear people on mobile phones telling their friends to “come on over as everyone is smoking”.
Furthermore, on more than one occasion I heard non-smoking attendees stating: “everyone should have freedom to choose”.
Nick Hogan also reported that his phone had been ringing continuously with messages of support coming in from all over the world including our colleagues from Hawaii.
The police were great and did not interfere, as promised, and the afternoon proceeded in an orderly fashion (no loutish behaviour at all and everyone friendly). However, just in case anyone thinks this means the event was dull would be wrong. It was a good old fashioned type pub event and nothing whatsoever similar to the rather crummy soulless atmospheres of pubs and bars which have been polluted by the policies of antismokerism.
With antismokers in mind, the highlight of the afternoon resulted from the actions of three of them who turned up to try and push their message. One particularly bold woman of uncertain age informed Nick Hogan that she had a right to choose too and that his pub was not, by permitting smoking, allowing her, her choice. Nick explained that despite the fact The Swan is called a “public house” it is, nevertheless, still private property in addition to being his home and that he may choose the conditions that prevail there and, moreover, that she was able to choose whether to enter or not. The antismoker started to become enraged and a little aggressive, in fact she reminded me of an irate turkey with a knitting needle stuck in its bottom. Nick’s response was to give her a practical lesson in what it means to have one’s freedom of choice truly taken away. He physically removed her from his premises and told her she was barred!
I haven’t laughed so much for quite some time…
Bladimir Tolstoy. |
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Jay
Enthusiastic Smoker
Joined: Jun 10, 2003
Posts: 647
Location: Chicago
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