Occupy’s Rose Parade float: 70-foot octopus of corporate greed
Occupy protesters are busy finishing their float that will run at the end of the Rose Parade: a 70-by-40-foot octopus made of recycled plastic bags.
The octopus, said activist Mark Lipman of Los Angeles, represents Wall Street’s stranglehold on political, cultural and social life, with tentacles “that reach into your pocket to get your money and a tentacle to get your house.”
“This is the real Rose Parade, and the other is the Rose Charade,” said Pete Thottam, 40, an Occupy activist.
Protesters will march the parade route after the floats and marching bands have passed. The group has been working with Pasadena police and Tournament of Roses officials on how not to disrupt the parade.
“Our goal is to put Occupy’s best foot forward,” Thottam said, adding that activists expect more than 1,000 participants. “We recognize that this is a historic, iconic event geared toward middle America and the family.”
The group says the protest will be “G-rated” and will stick to nonviolence in expressing Occupy’s messages against income inequality and corporate power.