Rose Parade 2012: Cheers, jeers greet 'Occupy Octopus' human float

Hello fellow cephalophiles! Welcome to 2012! Check out the article below; how do you feel about the octopus being used as a symbol of the Occupy Movement? (O)(o)(O)(o)(O)>

January 2, 2012

LATimes.com

Hundreds of Occupy the Rose Parade protesters marched down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on Monday after the real event was over, lining up behind police squad cars, tow trucks and the last official float to carry their message of economic inequality.

The reaction from the crowd, which was dispersing, was mixed, with some boos, but most people watched quietly or with amusement.

A member of a small group called the Bible Believers, which marches every year at the end of the parade, yelled to the Occupiers: "You people are no more than communist revolutionaries who destroy our country."

When on Occupier started to respond, a member of the movement's "peacekeeping" team stopped him and said he would be better off marching than arguing. The team was formed by the protesters to prevent confrontations.

Most of the occupiers marched carrying banners and homemade signs. A couple of dozen teamed up to carry a human float called "Occupy Octopus" -- a head and eight tentacles made of plastic bags attached to a frame. Sara Daleider of Boyle Heights helped with one of the octopus' tentacles. "It's really a powerful thing to be connected to other people ... and to walk in this really popular parade," she said.

Some occupiers carried a 250-foot preamble to the Constitution written on a tarp with signatures of Occupy protesters on it. Another tarp made to look like a preamble began with the words "We the Corporation."

A group of people on an apartment balcony cheered and waved, as did people in the grandstands. One man yelled, "Get a job!" and "You guys had your 15 minutes."

Roger Bruce of San Clemente, a member of the peacekeeping group, called the march "awesome. It's much bigger than we anticipated." The peacekeepers had no confrontations, only a few nasty comments from onlookers, he said.

Protester Art Goldberg, 70, of Echo Park told a young woman as he walked past: "Don't watch history, make it."

She crossed under the yellow caution tape and joined the march.