A local pot legalization activist says his human rights were violated when The Partnership tore down posters he placed around Saskatoon advertising a May 5 marijuana rally.

Timothy Hampton says he was told by employees of the downtown business improvement group that his posters were too large and didn't comply with the postering bylaw.

Bylaw 7565 states that posters displayed on community poster boards cannot be larger than 11 by 17 inches.

"My survey around the city shows the only posters that are complying with the by-law at this point are ours. We had posters torn down that were absolutely legal," Hampton said.

"And if our posters are non-complying, and everyone else's posters are non-complying, why are our posters singled out to be removed?"

Terry Scaddan, executive director of The Partnership, said he did ask that Hampton's posters be taken down on April 27.

"But all it had to do with is oversize posters, period. It had nothing to do with the content," he said, adding Hampton's posters were four times the size the bylaw allows.

"We certainly back freedom of speech and freedom of expression," Scaddan added.

About 200 Saskatoon protesters attended the marijuana rally held Saturday afternoon. The event, co-organized by the Saskatchewan chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and by the Marijuana Party of Saskatchewan, was dedicated to ending prohibition.

"Six million people in Canada smoked a joint in the last six months. The fact that cannabis is illegal is absolutely ridiculous," said Hampton, a NORML member who's been fighting for the legalization of pot for 25 years.

"We waste all these resources within the judicial system towards criminalizing one-fifth of our population. If we don't speak up, they're not going to change the law."

Protesters carried signs depicting peace symbols and marijuana plants as they marched from the top of the Broadway Bridge to the Vimy Memorial, where they congregated for speakers and music.

Hampton said the march was dedicated to Ernest Rogalsky, the 48-year-old founder of the Saskatchewan chapter of NORML, who's currently in prison for trafficking marijuana.

"This is an honest, upright man who's never written a bad cheque in his life and never had a drunk driving charge. He lives in the same community he grew up in, and he's in jail for marijuana.

"This is crazy. We're here for legalization, not victimization," Hampton said.

The Saskatoon marijuana march, entitled "2001: The Space Odyssey," was one of 14 legalization protests held in cities across Canada on Saturday.

Michael Spindloe, a Saskatoon businessperson, said he hoped the rally helps the legalization movement.

Spindloe was charged in 1997 with selling drug paraphernalia after four police officers raided his store, The Vinyl Exchange, where he sells compact discs, records, cassettes and "smoking accessories."

"I think it's always good to raise awareness and I think anything that brings the issue before the public is good at this point," he said.

"There was never any reason for marijuana to be illegal in the first place. Continued prohibition is a human rights violation."

Last week, Saskatchewan's highest court upheld the law that makes it illegal to sell drug paraphernalia, but Spindloe told protesters that "for the moment, it's business as usual."

"I will say, though, it's not much fun going to work everyday and wondering if you're going to get busted."

City police reported no problems from the protest.