Journeys for justice are as perennial as the seasons of injustice.
The first Drug War Freedom Ride, which toured the jails of New South Wales, Australia, during July, August and September 2000 was another in that fine and ancient tradition.
Its aim was to bear witness to the inexorably rising prisoner population that is a consequence of the drug prohibition policies into which our governments federal, state and local, had been locked by the US alliance.
The Freedom Ride was a collaboration between the Sydney based prisoner action group, Justice Action, and the Nimbin based, Australian Cannabis Law Reform Movement. Its vehicle was Peacebus.com and its crew was Graeme Dunstan ('The Captain' or alternatively 'Batman'), John Peninton ('St John'), Peter Laurence ('Jab') and David Carroll ('Cannabis Dave').
The Freedom Ride was announced at the 2000 Nimbin 'Good Medicine' Mardi Grass and Cannabis Law Reform Rally 4 May 2000 and set off from Nimbin on 30 June.
The itinerary of its protest actions was as follows:
