Let’s be free from drug rally

The Boston Freedom Rally, formerly known as “Hempfest,” has been an annual disruption on Boston Common for decades. With loud music and very young people publicly engaged in drug use, it has long irked locals and law enforcement.

Two city councilors are looking to change things. Citing complaints of illegal activities, permit violations, and trash and stray used needles left behind at the most recent rally in September, Councilors Ed Flynn and Josh Zakim had asked that the council hold a hearing to discuss action the city could take and explore options to relocate the event.

Flynn, who represents District 2, comprising downtown, South Boston and the South End, said complaints by neighbors were brought to his attention by the Friends of the Public Garden.

“I take it seriously any time my constituents bring a complaint to my attention,” Flynn said. “We’re trying to do our due diligence, listen to residents in impacted neighborhoods and listen to city officials to see what the next step moving forward is.”

Flynn says the longevity of the weekendlong event has also become a concern for some residents. He plans to “look into what happened” at the most recent event and come up with a plan that works for everybody.

The plan should be to move the “Freedom Rally” off Boston Common. In a sense it already has been moved off Boston Common and into every street and every neighborhood in the city, which now smell like they’ve been carpet-bombed with skunks.

The getting-high movement has won the war, and now we all get to see their drug use around every corner in Boston. We all are greeted with the prospect of walking through a plume of marijuana smoke and getting a contact high on a daily basis.

The Freedom Rally is a blight and a marketing opportunity for gateway drugs in the era of the opioid crisis. We do not need it in the heart of the city. We do not need it anywhere. Our elected officials in the city of Boston should just say no to drug rallies.