In January Weber County Narcotics Officers raided the home of Matthew Stewart in a raid that resulted in the death of one officer and the wounding of five others. Now Stewart faces the death penalty and activists are rallying against the war on drugs that sent armed officers into the home in search of a marijuana grow-house.---

Activists are rallying in solidarity with Stewart and his family in calling out the Jan. 4 raid as a tragic mistake. Stewart has argued that police didn’t identify themselves when they raided his home and the he believed he was being robbed. The result was a chaotic raid that left one officer dead and now Stewart facing the death penalty.

Activists are calling out the raid as a pyrrhic victory for law enforcement that paid too much in executing a raid just to arrest individual growing marijuana. Thursday, activists will rally in solidarity with the Stewart family and against the nation’s war on drugs.

The event will feature a workshop by former Los Angeles police officer David Goodridge who will be speaking on the United States’ failed campaign against drugs as well as Andrew McCullough, Libertarian candidate for Utah Attorney General who will also speak to the threat to citizens’ civil liberties posed by get-tough drug laws.

For those interested in learning more about the problems with our state and nation’s drug laws and policies, check out this event, Thursday, April 12, starting at 7:30 p.m. at the Weber County Library, 2464 Jefferson Avenue, Ogden