Former City Councilman Bill Paparian participated in the march wearing a shawl given to him by the Dalai Lama in 1996 when Paparian served as mayor and welcomed the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader to Pasadena.

"There was a time this city stood for principled issues such as the brutal occupation of Tibet," Paparian said, describing the council's decision last week to reject recommendations from its Human Relations Commission as a "shameful display of political cowardice."

He and march organizers thanked councilmembers Chris Holden and Jacque Robinson, who had wanted to send a stronger
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statement specifically to China addressing its documented abuses of human rights.

The majority opted to endorse a "universal declaration of human rights" from the United Nations that would make no reference to China but be sent to all of Pasadena's sister cities, including one in Beijing.

Many Sunday shoppers registered surprise to the cries of "Shame, shame, China shame! Human rights is not a game!" as the march proceeded through Old Pasadena's shopping district to honks of support from motorists.

China plans to use the Rose Parade as the kickoff event for celebrating the Olympic Games to be held in Beijing.

The float has drawn together a disparate association of groups who feel China broke its Olympic promise to improve conditions for its citizens with, according to the U.S. State Department, abuses that have grown worse during the past year.

The next front in their campaign getting City Hall or the Tournament of Roses to allow a parade celebrating human rights before the Rose Parade begins, according to Tseten Phanucharas, president of Los Angeles Friends of Tibet.

"We went to apply for a permit with the city for a parade and found out the Tournament of Roses has the street from December 15 to January 1st," she said. "Now let us have an equal voice and a march for freedom that won't disrupt the parade. That's the democratic, American way."

Paparian urged those present not to disrupt the float when it rolls down Colorado Boulevard on Jan. 1, but to protest in a dignified way that would "eclipse any public-relations value the Chinese government hopes to achieve with the parade."

Ann Lau, head of human rights group Visual Artists Guild, tucked a letter into the front door of the Tournament House after saying they'd received no response to previous letters to Tournament President CL Keedy.

In a recent letter to Mayor Bill Bogaard, Keedy defended the float as an apolitical celebration of the Olympics.

He also repeated that the Chinese government had no role in its inclusion, although some of the Chinese-American associations paying for it have direct links to the Communist government.

Pasadena-based Avery Dennison Corp. is paying the other half of the estimated $400,000 float.

Although Bogaard helped bring the float to the parade, some on the council have said the controversy falls outside of its purview.

todd.ruiz@sgvn.com
(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4444
www.insidesocal.com/pasadenapolitics