Pasadena police are preparing for the Rose Parade by training to remove protestors — whether targeting a China-themed float or joining Cindy Sheehan in a call to impeach President Bush — who they expect may attempt to bring the parade to a halt.
Pulling people from the street “is really the last thing we want to do,” said Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian, “but we are prepared to do that very quickly and very efficiently. We always prepare ourselves for this.”
Melekian will lead a New Year’s interagency task force that includes FBI agents, bomb-sniffing dogs and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), as well as members of the National Guard and Marine Reserves. The city also holds contracts for patrol services with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol.
As many as 200 anti-Bush activists are hoping to capture international attention by staging multiple demonstrations along the 5.5-mile parade route, an action they are calling Operation White Rose after an historic Nazi resistance movement. Groups joining the Los Angeles National Impeachment Center include antiwar organizations such as CODEPINK, World Can’t Wait, the ANSWER Coalition and Veterans for Peace, said organizer and Glendale resident Tobi Dragert.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high after a breakdown last week in negotiations to develop a city-sanctioned human rights march for those opposed to religious and political oppression in China and the float celebrating the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
Following months of criticism from several groups, the Tournament of Roses began closed-door talks with chief organizer John Li for an event immediately preceding the parade that would give float critics — including Tibetan and Burmese Americans, local Falun Gong practitioners and organizations such as Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International — an outlet for expression.
Police rejected many of Li’s demands for the human rights procession, citing logistical and security concerns, but offered scaled-back options that included a press conference or a loosely organized march on foot that would not allow amplified sound.
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