Today, Saturday, May 5th: The NYC Cannibis March starts at 12 noon under the Arch and then will march at 1:30 p.m. to Union Square for a Rally.* This is a worldwide event (in its 12th year) and, according to Cannibis Culture magazine, there are over 153 cities around the world holding similar events. (*Due to the redesign of the park, I’ve been told that the Fountain Plaza at WSP is not allowed for use for big big rallies anymore. More on that to come.)
Along with the legalization of marijuana, among the things that are being advocated, from the event Facebook page, are the “importance and timeliness of the Medical Marijuana issue,” opposing “Stop and Frisk methods imposed by the NYPD” [and] opposing “the incarceration of our brothers and sisters.”
Today is also Cinco de Mayo! If you are looking for a margarita after the March, check out Tortaria (94 University Place at 12th Street) with their $5 Cinco de Mayo specials. Recommended by Refinery29 on their Village Margarita Map and New York Magazine.
And some history ….so it’s not just about Cannibis and Margaritas!
Cinco de Mayo (Wikipedia):
The French invasion
Late in 1861, a well-armed French fleet stormed Veracruz, landing a large French force and driving President Juárez and his government into retreat.[15] Moving on from Veracruz towards Mexico City, the French army encountered heavy resistance from the Mexicans near Puebla, at the Mexican forts of Loreto and Guadalupe.[16] The 8,000-strong French army attacked the much more poorly equipped Mexican army of 4,000. Yet, on May 5, 1862,[17] the Mexicans managed to decisively crush the French army, one which, according to an article in Philadelphia’s The Bulletin daily newspaper, was the best army of the time.[18]
The Mexican victory
The victory represented a significant morale boost to the Mexican army and the Mexican people at large. In the description of The History Channel, “Although not a major strategic win in the overall war against the French, Zaragoza’s success at Puebla represented a great symbolic victory for the Mexican government and bolstered the resistance movement.”[19] The description of Time magazine was: “The Puebla victory came to symbolize unity and pride for what seemed like a Mexican David defeating a French Goliath.”[20] It helped establish a much-needed sense of national unity and patriotism.[16]