Multiple reports show police pinned a man to the floor on Monday as cannabis smokers flocked to London's Hyde Park to celebrate 420 World Cannabis Day. The man was pictured on the ground being held down by at least four officers. In another image, a different man displayed what appeared to be a cannabis plant as an officer approached him.
Marijuana lovers unite for the rally every year on April 20, a reference to the term 420. The annual tradition is said to have started in America because April 20 in the US date format reads as 4/20. There are many stories behind the significance of the number in stoner culture, but the most common is that 4.20pm is touted as the best time of the day to start smoking the narcotic.
hadn't got enough money to prosecute
In preparation for the revellers, Hyde Park featured a sign reading: 'No Drugs.' Cannabis is a class B drug in the UK - it carries a five-year sentence for possession and a maximum term of 14 years for dealing or producing. While police usually turn a blind eye to the gathering - as long as attendees remain calm - the law says anyone caught with cannabis can be issued a warning or an on-the-spot fine of £90.
The park has been the scene of previous 420 celebrations, with police watching on helplessly last year as fans gathered to smoke weed. One smoker bragged officers 'hadn't got enough money to prosecute' them. Hordes of cannabis lovers spread across the park to mark the event, which calls for the illegal drug to be decriminalised. In 2022 a brawl broke out at Hyde Park's 420 event as two women were seen wrestling on the floor and a man appeared to beat a woman. That day police said ten people were arrested for a range of offences, including possession of class A drugs, possession of class B drugs, possession with intent to supply, offensive weapons, affray and assaulting police. During pandemic restrictions in 2021, when outdoor gatherings were only permitted for groups of up to six people, cannabis fans flocked to the park despite police warning that £200 fines would be issued for those flouting lockdown rules. And in 2017 police detained 12 people at the rally, while the 2015 event saw more than 50 people arrested, despite organisers' claims it had been peaceful.
It remains unknown whether any arrests were made at the 2024 Hyde Park 420 event or whether police issued any warnings or fines for cannabis possession. The identity and current status of the man pinned to the floor by police have not been confirmed.