Halloween "smoke in" photograph   Save
Columbus Free Press Collection Audiovisual Series
Description: This photograph shows a Halloween "smoke in" taking place on the Oval at the Ohio State University, in favor of marijuana legalization. A note on the back indicates that Steve Conliff, a Yippie organizer and political activist, can be seen as he announces his candidacy for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Earlier this year, Conliff had achieved notoriety when he threw a pie at Ohio Governor James Rhodes on the opening day of the Ohio State Fair. His tongue-in-cheek run for the nomination was on an anti-war, anti-capitalist and pro-marijuana platform. The photograph was taken for publication in the Columbus Free Press newspaper. The Columbus Free Press began as a bi-weekly publication in Columbus, Ohio, in 1970. An underground newspaper, it replaced the Ohio State University publication The People, Yes. The earliest known issue of the newspaper appeared on January 4, 1971. The newspaper underwent a series of name changes over the decades, with titles including the Columbus Free Press & Cowtown Times (1972-1976), the Columbus Freepress (1976-1992) and The Free Press (1992-1995). The paper, which covered many liberal and progressive causes, was an alternative to mainstream news sources in central Ohio with the slogan “The Other Side of the News.” In 1995, the paper ceased publication briefly before reemerging as a website in early 1996, and returning as a print publication under the Free Press title in the form of a quarterly journal in 1998. Published under various frequencies during the first part of the 21st century, the Free Press again became a nonprofit monthly publication in 2017 with both a print and web presence, published by the Columbus Institute for Contemporary Journalism and operated by a volunteer staff and board. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: MSS1301AV_B04F03_03
Subjects: Protests and protestors; Social movements; Demonstrations; Political campaigns; Marijuana;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)