At approximately 8:30 a.m. today, I-1068′s field director for Eastern Washington Angela Johnson was allegedly assaulted and harassed by a man near downtown Spokane. Johnson was five days into a six-day round-the-clock signature gathering vigil on unused commercial property.
Johnson says the man, who identified himself as the property manager, verbally harassed her and then tired to remove her I-1068 signs which were legally displayed on public property. She and the man got into a struggle over the signs, the presence of which had been approved by Spokane police, and the man grabbed Johnson’s arm and pushed her out of the way. This occurred on public property. I-1068 would legalize marijuana use, possession and cultivation for adults 18 and older in Washington State.
Harassment of signature gatherers is illegal in Washington State and is punishable by three years in prison. Simple assault is illegal too.
“The minute people see signs that say ‘marijuana,’ it brings such hostility out in some people,” says Johnson, who suffered a mild scratch to her hand during the melee.
Johnson contacted police and filed a report with responding officers. She and Sensible Washington will ponder whether to bring harassment charges against the man, whom Sensible Washington is declining to name.
“It’s troubling that a man would attack a woman in such a fashion,” said Philip Dawdy, I-1068 campaign director and an initiative co-author. “We’ve faced far more obstacles than most initiative campaigns ever have, but harassment and assault of one of our volunteers is something we have zero tolerance for. It’s funny too that some in the press have written our campaign off as dead when we’re still actively gathering signatures in the field and now our volunteers are being attacked. That shows that we are very much alive.”
Johnson is currently trying to establish an alternate location to continue her signature gathering vigil through 8 a.m. Friday morning.
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angela declined to press assault charges. we’re still trying to figure out if we can press harassment charges on her behalf or not. we may not have legal standing to do so. but if i had tolerance for such nonsense then i wouldn’t have made such efforts to get this issue some public attention.
I find it troubling that you are only “Pondering” pressing charges! You have stated “harassment and assault of one of our volunteers is something we have zero tolerance for.” Please follow though.
Hey~ I have been called a peice of sh&t, you name it. you go girl!!!!!!!!!!! It is my personal goal to make nay-sayers eat my signatures. Tricia~Yakima Collection Commity
she and we can press harassment of a petitioner charges. we’re reviewing our legal options.
It’s too bad Johnson isn’t pressing charges. The attack barely made a blip in the Spokane news cycle. Let alone the rest of the state.
Just goes to prove that the so-called normal people are the ones suffering from Reefer Madness. This person needs to be charged and run through the system just like a person in possession of cannabis would be and his crime is worse.
Thanks, I don’t need recruiting.
btw at Issaquah Trader Joe’s, there are 2 petition tables and Real Change vendor. One signature gatherer had a typed list of his petitions and one on the list said “I-1098″. He had a typo, which I brought to his attention when he frowned it was not the “pot” petition, and the other stiff with his clip board said, “I don’t support that kind of thing”.
Good luck getting more signatures!
Stephany–
Get a petition printed out and go for it! What’re you waiting for? Take the PDF to Kinko’s, get it 11×17, double-sided. =)
I wish we had places down here (Clark County) with that kind of foot traffic!
People WANT to sign this, we just don’t have enough ACTIVE volunteers to make 1068 available to everyone. Let’s fight the good fight, people!
Let’s make sure that Angela’s incident was not in vain! =)
Re: the Issaquah Safeway
It’s attached to a Starbucks with heavy traffic, also a few doors down from REI. This is a HIGH volume shopping plaza that draws people in from miles away. It could be the only op for ppl to find the petition to sign.
*The best time to stand outside of Safeway, Iss. is between 4 and 6pm on the weekdays.
I’ll be looking for the petition to sign on friday at 5pm!
Thank you!
I’ve been asked to sign other petitions on the Eastside, Gilman Blvd. Safeway store, and each time the person wants to know how to get the I-1068 to ask for ppl to sign instead, when I tell them about it.
It happened again today, as I left the Safeway store I witnessed a man asking the signature gatherer if they had one for I-1068.
Anyone who already has the paperwork ready for signing GO to :
Safeway
735 Northwest Gilman Boulevard
Issaquah, WA 98027
Clearly they allow signature gatherers there ,and there is a HIGH volume of Eastside residents waiting to sign this!
Thank you.
Good luck, Philip and all.
i got beaten up while handcuffed by slc police when i was 23.
Wow! Im with ya Angela, I got a $900 camera smashed by Utah police while I was peacefully assembled and exercising my free speech by holding a sign that said “Legalize It” at a parade. I got a Class C misdemeanor and detention for a few hours for a peaceful demonstration.
But I am not giving up. Like you Angela, Im in it until we get the job done.
Let me know when you find a new venue. Good work!
I’m sorry to hear this news, but I am glad that Angela is ok. This makes me want to create a new sign: “Marijuana doesn’t cause violence; Prohibition of Marijuana causes violence.”
Thank you for your courage, Angela!
Angela–
You’re amazing for putting yourself out there like this! We need more volunteers to do what you’re doing; if we had the “buddy system” thing going for you, few would’ve attempted that kind of action against you.
I hope you aren’t deterred, and I hope we can get more supporters out there to stand guard with you. Keep fighting the good fight!
PS–Please, for the love of all that’s holy, some charges need to be pressed; we as volunteers have rights to not be harmed and harrassed. That man violated those rights.
I guess I should have mentioned that Riverfront Park and the Slightly Stoopid / Steel Pulse show are in Spokane. See you there!
Signature gatherers and volunteers should head down to Riverfront Park on Sunday, June 20th for the Slightly Stoopid, Steel Pulse and The Expendables concert. Gates open at 5::00 pm Show starts at 6:00 pm. The stage is usually in The Lilac Bowl for these LARGE concerts not the Clocktower Meadow so there are many points to catch people heading to the show.(North bank, Opera House side, etc.) This event alone should put 10.000+ prime voters in front of us. Obviously the demographic of this concert will be easier to collect signatures than at Hoopfest. Thanks!!!!
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