Sydney, Australia April 2026 — A star studded 4/20 cannabis themed art exhibition was raided by New South Wales Police following reports of illegal activity only for officers to discover that the alleged cannabis was theatrical props resulting in no arrests.
Who Are We Hurting held at Brave Gallery in Surry Hills from April 18 to 21 drew a high profile crowd including personalities from reality television radio and professional sport. Attendees among them figures associated with Married at First Sight radio broadcasters and sporting identities were present when police entered the venue during the 4/20 event.
Created by the Who Are We Hurting collective led by Will Stolk and Alec Craze Zammitt the exhibition continues the groups decade long activism transforming their message into an immersive gallery experience centred on cannabis culture and prohibition.
The show featured large scale installations performance works and a central detention style environment designed to reflect the lived experience of those impacted by cannabis related policing in Australia.
Police Respond to Reports
On the evening of April 20 police attended Brave Gallery following complaints alleging that real cannabis was being used and distributed within the show.
Upon inspection organisers confirmed that all cannabis featured in the exhibition was purely prop based and formed part of the artistic presentation.
No arrests were made and no individuals were detained.
High Profile Guests Present During Raid
The presence of well known guests added to the intensity of the moment with celebrities and public figures witnessing the police entry firsthand as the situation unfolded inside the exhibition space.
What was intended as a cultural gathering quickly became a live demonstration of the themes the exhibition was built around.
Organisers said what was meant to be a controlled artistic experience became a real time reflection of the issues they have been highlighting for years.
Art Imitates Reality
The police response echoed the central theme of the exhibition highlighting the ongoing tension between cannabis culture and law enforcement in Australia. A simulated environment designed to explore prohibition briefly became a real world encounter with it reinforcing the message at the core of the work.
The Meaning of 420
420 is an internationally recognised date associated with cannabis culture observed each year on April 20. It originated as a counterculture reference and has since evolved into a global day of cannabis related protest advocacy and celebration. The date is often used to highlight conversations around reform legalisation and the social impact of prohibition.
A Decade of Activism
The Who Are We Hurting collective has spent nearly ten years using public interventions projections and cultural disruption to draw attention to cannabis laws in Australia. This exhibition marked a shift into a more immersive gallery format while maintaining the same confrontational approach to the subject matter.
The events of April 20 have now placed the exhibition at the centre of broader discussions around cannabis law enforcement perception and reform in New South Wales.
As attitudes continue to evolve Who Are We Hurting positions itself as both a cultural critique and a reflection of the lived reality of prohibition in Australia.