Paradeageddon

Anti-war activist and Congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan will be in Pasadena as part of that campaign, as will members of CODEPINK, Troops Out Now Coalition, World Can't Wait, ANSWER, Progressive Democrats of America, the Green Party, Veterans for Peace, United for Peace and Justice, and others.
Events like the parade pose an opportunity for people of conviction, particularly those who feel marginalized by the mainstream media, to commandeer some of the publicity.
“We’re going to break in the new year and show the media we’re fed up with the blackout on the pro-impeachment and anti-war sentiments in this country,” said Thottam, a former state assembly candidate. “It’s a way of trying to educate Americans exposed only to Britney Spears and O.J. Simpson that there are things going on that matter.”
Similar to how critics of the Beijing Olympic float organized as the Pasadena Coalition for Human Rights in China, anti-war and pro-impeachment activists have united as the “White Rose Coalition.”
To reach the millions watching on television they’ve organized a “visibility action” near the cameras near the Norton Simon Museum and will hand out literature to the approximately million people estimated to line the route.
Everything planned will be legal, he added.
Attempts to broker a last-ditch agreement for a legal, authorized march by opponents of the Beijing Olympic float failed over the weekend.
After police twice rejected their plans, citing security concerns, march organizer John Li said his group rejected a final offer Saturday after meeting with Police Chief Bernard Melekian, Mayor Bill Bogaard, Councilman Victor Gordo, Avery-Dennison consultant Tim Kelly and Tournament officials.
“They basically want us to do things in the dark,” Li said of a 6 a.m. start time he said was proposed for a drastically scaled-back march. “We think that can not bring the glory human rights deserve.”
For the first time, parade organizers were set to approve a march for human rights just prior to their Jan. 1 event to accommodate those groups and individuals opposed to the Chinese float because of China’s worsening human rights record in the run-up to the Olympics there next year.
Li questioned why security concerns didn’t cause police to reject plans for more than 100 children to be part of the controversial float.
Given the parade’s profile, and sheer number of spectators and participants, police prepare a number of security plans, Police Chief Bernard Melekian said in a recent interview.
“There hasn’t been a year I've been here there hasn’t been some unusual eventuality we haven’t had to prepare for,” he said.
Melekian declined to say what additional measures were being taken this year, particularly regarding the float.
“There's no concern about violence at this time,” Melekian said. “I suspect that there may be some form of demonstration but nothing completely out of the ordinary.”

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