Rose Parade Held With An 'Occupy' Twist [PHOTOS]
Pasadena, California - Thousands of people witnessed strutting bands and floats designed with flowers for the Tournament of Roses in 2012 Monday, but the beautiful event came in with a messy parade as anti-Wall Street protesters rallied.
The theme of the 123rd yearly New Year's Day tournament was "Just Imagine." It streamed along city center Pasadena to the applause of a lot of sidewalk viewers.
Approximately 40 million spectators watched 44 flowery floats, 16 bands, and 22 equestrian troupes on T.V.
About 10 were detained overnight and 4 crimes, while hundreds of thousands of viewers stayed along the road. Identified figures, however, were lesser than the past year according to the police.
"Everything went very, very well. We're very pleased,"said police Lt. Phlunte Riddle in a report.
Soon after the 2-hour procession came anti-Wall Street activists in an organized demonstration.
The noise of the marching bands combined with the shouts of "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out" while the parade protesters went back over approximately 1.5 miles of the overall 5.5-mile route before changing direction for an assembly closet to the City Hall.
Demonstrators brought a 250-foot long banner with a written note "We the People" to symbolize the U.S. Constitution. A few also carried an octopus, 70-foot long, constructed from used plastic bags, which characterized the tentacles of professed corporate insatiability.
Greg Stevens, 38, a public health instructor from the University of Southern California, said that the rally is about taking the money out of politics. He supported everything that is involved with the movement.
While demonstrators walk by, a few parade viewers shouted "get a job" while some shattered pictures and cheered.
"It's kind of crazy but kind of exciting," said Alana Olvick, 26, of Valencia, California.
Behind the parade of activists came 3 truckloads of sheriff's deputies from Los Angeles County wearing riot gear. However, no arrests were made since the protest was done in a peaceful manner.
