Recently in "Genocide Float" Category

Andrew Koenig responds to Thursday's post:

Hi Todd,

I wanted to take this opportunity to explain what I
protested and why I chose the Rose Parade.

I have been actively involved with helping bring
awareness to the plight of the Burmese people since
July. I went to Thailand to document refugees of the
brutal military dictatorship in Burma (Myanmar). Many
of these people were imprisoned and tortured for
wanting the same freedom we enjoy here.

China sits on the UN Security council and has refused
to condemn the acts of the Burmese military. That's
probably because they buy gas from Burma and sell them
weapons. China is currently trying to show the world a
good face in anticipation of the Beijing Olympics. My
intention was to bring attention to China's
hypocritical situation.

I chose the Rose Parade because of the Beijing Olympic
float's presence and the presence of the TV cameras.
Unfortunately, to keep important issues like this in
the news, sometimes people have to pull stunts to get
attention.

Will be forthcoming. A lot of excitement and tremendous security along the route, from inter-agency law enforcement to Secret Service. Attempt to disrupt the Beijing Olympic float either failed or didn't happen.

But first I have to write my story.

I lied. Here are the pictures from earlier tonight. Those who frequented my old travel blog (offline at the moment D:<) will recognize my photo-essay style: I take a decent picture once in awhile, but was very pleased with how most of these came out.

First off we ran into this off-boulevard, young teen party only a block and a half from the Molino House. They were dancing at El Molino and Green to the boombox beats of that one homeless guy who always has that boombox going.

As soon as we hit Colorado Boulevard, presence of law enforcement was evident.

Read more for more ... to read.

My parade route live blogging with Ms. Vanity will commence shortly, once I've uploaded the pictures to the Interwebs and downloaded some more grappa and cocktails.

UPDATED: No really, that can wait til morning.

In the meantime, here's something. Not quite sure what to make of it yet, will read it again in the morning:

PRESS RELEASE

January 1, 2008

Victims and Activist Groups to Sue the City of Pasadena, Various Public Officials and Individuals for Violation of Their Civil Rights

Contacts: John Li 626-568-8889 (I will be at the corner of Del Mar Blvd. and Orange Groove for most of time with other Falun Gong practitioners)

Shizhong Chen 858-366-5818

When: 7:00 AM, January 1, 2008

Where: Los Feliz Room, The Westin Pasadena,

191 North Los Robles, Pasadena, California 91101

Pasadena- Victims of China’s human rights violations and human rights groups who had protested the inclusion of a float representing the Peoples Republic of China in the 2008 Rose Parade announce today their intention to sue the City of Pasadena, various public officials and private individuals for violation of their civil rights. We intend to show that these agencies and individuals acted in concert to unlawfully prevent the issuance of a city permit to us for a demonstration against China’s continuing abuse of basic human rights.

From KPCC.org:

China's Float a Lightning Rod for Critics (Real Audio required)

For the first time in the 119 year history of the Rose Parade, China will have its own float. But critics of that country's human rights record are objecting and want to mount their own march down Colorado Boulevard. When California tradition and China's politics collide, where should the line be drawn?

Bill Bogaard, Mayor of Pasadena
Shizhong Chen, spokesman for the Pasadena Coalition for Human Rights and president of the Conscience Foundation, a Chinese human rights group headquartered in San Diego.

Here's a copy of the "compromise plan" referenced in today's story. Police rejected it, citing security concerns:

Plan D

I.Goal

To hold a dignified human rights event before the Rose Parade to call the world’s attention to China’s unfulfilled promise of improving human rights for the Beijing Olympics and the continued worsening of human rights condition in China, Tibet, Sudan, Burma, North Korea, and other countries as the result of the Chinese regime’s exploitation.

II.Key Components
a.A marching band (see explanation below) of 100 people.
b.A Cushman Super Truck with microphone and speakers (see explanation below)
c.Marchers carrying banners representing various victim groups, including Falun Gong, Tibetan, Chinese Christians (underground churches), Chinese pro-democracy activists, Darfurians, Burmese, and various human rights groups, including local Amnesty International chapter, Visual Artist Guild, Justice for Americans in China, All Saints Church, Conscience Foundation, etc.
d.Grandstand on Euclid Street side of City Hall
e.A Human Rights Torch.

III.Timing Sheet

a.Preparation
i.At 0100 the 16’x 24’ grandstand is erected at Euclid Street behind City Hall
ii.At 0500 Cushman Super Truck is pre-positioned south of the intersection of Colorado Blvd and Terrace Drive
iii.At 0530, the marching band and marching groups will gather and line up along Terrace Drive

b.Opening ceremony
i.At 0620, the marching band will form behind the Cushman Super Truck
ii.At 0630, the marching band will play a short piece.
iii.At 0633, the keynote speaker will ascend the Cushman Super Truck and begin to speak about the Event
iv.At 0638, the Human Rights Torch will be lighten, and delivered to the first torch bearer, marching band starts to march east along Colorado Blvd.

c.Procession
i.After the marching band, the keynote speaker will introduce the first group of marchers;
ii.The first group starts to march with their banner
iii.The keynote speaker introduce the second group of marchers,
iv.The second group starts to march with their banner;
v.The process will repeat until all groups are introduced and start march
vi.The last group will start marching no later than 0705

d.Ending ceremony
i.The whole procession will arrive at the grandstand at Euclid Street at 0730
ii.Several speakers will give short 3-minute speeches.
iii.Conscience Foundation awards are presented to Kenneth Hardy and Chris Holden.
iv.The campaign to hold up Universal Declaration of Human Rights during the Beijing Olympics will be announced.

I.Justification for the Cushman Super Truck:
a.To provide a podium for the keynote speaker
b.To provide sound system for the keynote speaker

II.Justification for the marching band;
a.To provide sound and rhythm to the Event
b.To help to attract audience attention and clear the street

Here's the open letter from James H. Zimmerman, Jr. of Amnesty International USA referenced in today's story. It opens with a friendly overture that on second read is dripping with sarcasm.

20 December 2007

Dear Mayor Bogaard,

Amnesty International USA has learned, with gratification, of your proclamation of December 10 as Human Rights Day in Pasadena. This day, as you know, has been celebrated internationally for the past fifty-nine years, and we are pleased that your city has now joined the rest of the world in celebrating it.

I copied you earlier on correspondence with Mr. C.L. Keedy of the Rose Parade, and will not repeat what I said in that letter. Rather, we are concerned with the reports in the press in which you are quoted as characterizing the record of Chinese human rights violations as "allegations." In an earlier letter, I had said that I would not recite the long list of these violations, as they are widely available and, indeed, some were cited in the report and recommendations of your own Human Relations commission. Evidently you need more persuasion however, so I am taking the liberty of sending you, under separate cover, a selection of Amnesty reports.

(Continued below)

No safety valve for dissent.

Compromise fails, police reject plan for rights protest
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 12/20/2007 11:28:44 PM PST

PASADENA - Negotiations over whether to permit a human-rights march before the Rose Parade broke down Thursday, according to those involved.

Police Chief Bernard Melekian rejected a scaled-back plan Thursday from critics of a Beijing Olympic float seeking to counter what they insist is undeserved propaganda, given China's poor human rights record.

Citing unspecified "operational and public safety" issues, police officials turned down organizer John Li's compromise plan, which had excluded several large vehicles and would have steered clear of the parade's "security zone."

Despite being "very sympathetic" to the protesters' message, Melekian said Li did not appreciate the "huge operational and security concerns" associated with the event.

"I've given Mr. Li three different options, none of which seem to work for him," Melekian said. "Most police departments would have told him no, and now I wish I had, too."

After Sunday's story ran regarding pleas from former Pasadenan Yaning Liu, now of Baldwin Park, to enlist aid in freeing her mother from hard labor re-education camp, Rep. Adam Schiff came through for her. Schiff's letter was sent Wednesday; not sure why that time element was removed from the lead.

Yaning shared a copy of the letter Schiff sent to Paramount Leader Hu Jintao of the People's Republic.

UPDATED: Rep. Hilda Solis, D-El Monte, tops Schiff with two letters. One to the Chinese government, one to the U.S. Dept. of State.

Schiff lobbies China to free woman
Mother held in labor camp
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 12/19/2007 10:59:55 PM PST

PASADENA -- After months of pleading for help to secure her mother's release from a Chinese labor camp, a local woman's persistence has paid off.

In a letter sent to President Hu Jintao of the People's Republic of China, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Pasadena, called for the release of Shuying Li, 64.

As previously reported, at least one of the member organizations of the Roundtable of Southern California Chinese-American Organizations (which are paying for half of the float) was created by the Chinese Communist Government's Ministry of Information Industry (1) (2) and Mayor Bill Bogaard signed an October, 2004, Memorandum of Understanding with the Beijing government while in China committing Pasadena to the effort.

Yet we still get complaints for reporting the float's links to the Chinese government, despite that government's frequent bragging (1) (2) about "their" float.

Last night someone anonymously forwarded this e-mail to me, purportedly sent to the heads of Chinese student associations, making reference to "secret" Rose Parade meetings organized by the Chinese Consulate (bolded emphasis mine)

From: Chong Liu [mailto:dliu2008@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 3:52 PM Subject: Call for Waist Drum Players

Hi all Presidents,

I drafted an announcement and it is ready to go now. Please forward
it to your members immediately. Thanks.

Dahai

"Call for the Recruitment of Waist Drum Players from CSSA Members"

Dear CSSA members,

There will be a Grand Rose Float Parade in Pasadena on Jan 1st, 2008
organized by the American Chinese Cultural Association (ACCA). We
would like to invite a couple of girls from CSSA members to
participate in this parade and perform waist drum with our members. We
hope to recruit 4-8 people to join us, and we will provide costumes
and necessary trainings. If any of you are interested in, please let
me know ASAP. The invitation letter can be found at:
http://cssa.ucla.edu/archive/07-08/ACCA.doc

Best regards,

David Lin
President of ACCA
Tel: 626-446-0916
Cell: 626-354-8848
Fax: 626-446-0925
davidlinxu@gmail.com

On 11/13/07, Chong Liu wrote:
> Dear Kevin, Yizhou and Nancy,
>
> Mr. David (Xu) Lin who was with us on the last time of Rose Parade
> meeting at the Consulate asks us to offer a help. He is organizing a
> waist drum team to attend the Rose Parade on January 1st at Pasadena
> which is one of the most famous parades in the US and attracts 100
> millions of TV audience from the world. It is the great opportunity
> for CSSA members to support this event as we all agreed during our
> 'secret' meeting. After you three receives the announcement of call
> for participants from David, please post this announcement at
> CSSA-UCLA, CSSA-Caltech and CSSA-USC to encourage CSSA members to
> participate immediately. Thanks for your great support!
>
> Hi David,
>
> Kevin, Yizhou and Nancy are Presidents of UCLA, Caltech and USC,
> respectively. Please touch the base with them to get a help you need.
>
> Best,
>
> Dahai

Big news today -- perhaps historically, the Tournament of Roses, despite previous indications, is willing to allow a pre-Rose Parade human-rights march organized by Beijing 2008 Olympic float opponents, but the plan hit a snag with police. Chief Bernard Melekian rejected the plan as presented because of security concerns and offered options for a scaled-back event or to hold it on another day:

Pasadena rejects pre-parade march plans
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 12/18/2007 10:14:10 PM PST

PASADENA - Citing security concerns, Police Chief Bernard Melekian on Tuesday rejected a proposal by critics of China to precede the Tournament of Roses parade with a human-rights march down Colorado Boulevard.

The decision was made during a morning meeting of Tournament officials, the chief and John Li, head of Caltech's Falun Gong club, which has opposed a float linked to the People's Republic of China's in the internationally televised Rose Parade.

"We gave him a variety of options," Melekian said. "The proposal they put forward didn't work for us. There were some significant security issues."

Yaning Liu has some cool black and white photos her father took in China online, including this of her and her mother, Shuying Li.

Hate to split hairs, but I did prefer my original lede before it was edited for Sunday's story about Yaning's efforts to bring attention to her 64-year-old mother's extra-judicial detention in a labor re-education camp. Here's a "remix" of the story that appeared in the paper, the one I hurriedly filed Friday evening. Would have liked a little from both columns ...

By Kenneth Todd Ruiz
Staff Writer
]PASADENA — Standing quietly at the edge of international debate over China’s suitability as Olympic host, Yaning Liu holds a simple sign: “Help save my mom.”

When objections to China’s rights record focused locally on a Beijing 2008 entry in next year’s Rose Parade, the deeply introverted Baldwin Park resident seized the opportunity to make her own personal plea one year after police forced her mother into a “labor re-education” camp.

Visual Artist Guilder Ann Lau writes in about crashing Steve Haderlein's district meeting-raffle last week and asks what happened to plans for a Dec. 10 human-rights celebration as discussed Oct. 29:

We were distributing a brochure about our call to "Turn Your Back to the Rose Parade's Beijing Olympic Float".

It was rather dark outside and we had people from the Burmese, Chinese pro-democracy, human rights group and other supporters (about a dozen people all spread around inside and outside). Jim Morris
and other people were outside too. Some people were being interviewed by Radio Free Asia.

Later we went inside and Channel 4 called some of us outside for interviews. We were outside for awhile.
When I went back inside, Steve Haderlein was answering some questions regarding the freeway. After those questions were answered, he asked if there were any other questions. I raised my hand and other people raised their hands also. Steve took a look at my side (his right hand side), turned to the middle and then turned back to look at me and then turned to the middle again.

Then he told the audience that he would have the raffles and would answer more questions later. After the
raffles, people began drifting out and the formal meeting more or less ended. Some people went to talk to Steve.

I also went to talk to Steve and said to him, "I hope I did not cause you to stop the meeting." He said, "Oh, no, no ....." and started giving some excuses or other. Now, if he really didn't stop the
meeting becaus e he saw me, he would have said, "What do you mean?" Won't he?

I asked him what the Council has done regarding the letters to the Sisters Cities, he said nothing yet.

I gave him our brochure and pointed to the photo of Bishop Jia and I also mentioned Father Wen as being still in jail. I said that since he went to Marymount; (he corrected me and said Loyola), and since he teaches at a Catholic school, I would assume that he is Catholic and would be interested in the Catholic clergies who have been sent to jail because they refused to renounce their allegiance to the Pope. Some woman next to me said that I am putting him on the spot.

I then mentioned the Council talking about celebrating the anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. I said that since December 10 is the anniversary, we are planning a Human Rights Exhibition on December 8 at the Jackie Robinson Center and I invited him to come.

He later said that since December 10 is the anniversary, the Council may discuss the letter then. I asked if there isn't a meeting this coming Monday, he said there is a meeting and I can raise the issue at that meeting.

That was what happened. I wished Steve Haderlein had called on me to ask him questions publicly.
Ann Lau

China's going to be a real nice place (to do business) once it's scrubbed of dissent. Maybe we can import some more of the CCP's lead-tainted methodology:

Monitoring group: China will keep out ‘antagonistic elements’ during Olympics By ANITA CHANG Associated Press BEIJING -- China has secretly issued an order banning those the government considers a threat from next year’s Olympics -- a group that includes terrorists, Falun Gong activists, some media workers and frequent traffic-law violators, an overseas monitoring association said Friday. China’s leaders view the Beijing Olympics as a way to project a positive image of the country, but the games also offer a rare opportunity for protesters to air their grievances against China’s government and the ruling Communist party. The order from the Ministry of Public Security bans those who fall into broad categories such as “antagonistic elements,” “members of illegal organizations,” and “non-government organizations engaging in activities that can pose a real threat to the Olympic Games,” according to the China Aid Association, based in Midland, Texas.

We had a photo gallery up from yesterday's march through Pasadena, but it doesn't seem to be up anymore. I have a natural aversion to "kid pics" getting into the paper, but I really dug this striking photo by Star-News photographer Sarah Reingewirtz.

I have no clue why that wasn't our A1 display as intended.

Full story posted below.

Protest foreshadows parade controversy

By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer

Article Launched: 11/04/2007 10:32:41 PM PST

PASADENA -- Buzzing commerce in Old Pasadena was disrupted Sunday by protesters denouncing China's human rights abuses and the inclusion of a Beijing Olympic float in next year's Rose Parade.

Protesting both China and the Pasadena City Council's inaction on the issue last week, more than 100 people - including natives of China, Tibet and Burma - marched from City Hall to the Tournament of Roses' headquarters on Orange Grove Boulevard.

First response to Monday night's meeting, float opponents have organized a "March for Human Rights" from City Hall to the Tournament of Roses house on Orange Grove.

<-- And made a logo treatment of the "Broken Rose" icon.

PASADENA -- A former City Council member and others will join opponents of a controversial Chinese Olympic float on Sunday in a march for human rights.

Going from City Hall to the Tournament of Roses, the march is in protest to the council’s decision Monday not to adopt the recommendations of its Human Relation Commission report related to the float controversy.

“While the Pasadena City Council has voted 6-2 against endorsing the report submitted by the Pasadena Commission on Human Relations, we believe this is only the beginning of our campaign to educate the City Council and the Tournament of Roses on the importance of human rights,” according to a news release sent Thursday.

Former Councilman Bill Paparian, who also served as unelected mayor, will participate along with members of the Chinese-American, Tibetan and Burmese communities.

The march begins in front of City Hall at 2 p.m.

Information: http://www.beijingrosefloat.org.

Press release below.

Updated the web with the outcome of Monday's special meeting on the Rose Parade controversy.

Council was unanimous in supporting the concept of human rights, but disagreed onwhether China should be singled out after hearing a couple hours of testimony on that country's rights abuses.

Of using our relationship with Beijing to communicate a stance on human rights, Councilwoman Margaret McAustin said last night they should "be mindful of the fact we don't want to appear to be hitting them over the head in a negative way."

Here's the U.N.'s "universal declaration" they agreed to endorse.

Thorny issue prompts 'generic' statement from council
By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 10/29/2007 11:11:37 PM PDT

• PDF: Human Rights Commission recommendations
reports on the Beijing float
PASADENA - A Catholic monk's withered arm, deformed from what was described as years of torture, only compounded the City Council's unease Monday night as it considered a response to wide-ranging complaints over China's participation in the 2008 Rose Parade.

Thrust into the spotlight by a local controversy that has grown into a referendum on China's suitability as Olympic host, the council resembled an international court as the dozens of speakers lined up to deliver testimony on the balance of that nation's past and current abuses.

Read the full post for the rest of the story.

Remember Katrina Leung?

Apparently in 1999, she came to City Hall to urge the City Council to adopt Xicheng as its Chinese Sister City.

Funny comment by e-mail: "Who knows? You dig deep enough you might wind up in the middle of Tiananmen Square."

Today's story:

Float backers tied to Chinese government Pasadena City Council to discuss controversial Rose Parade entry By Kenneth Todd Ruiz, Staff Writer Article Launched: 10/25/2007 11:31:01 PM PDT

PASADENA -- Links between China's central government and a controversial Beijing Olympics float in next year's Rose Parade run deeper than its promoters have disclosed.

Although officials with the city, Tournament of Roses and float-financier Avery Dennison Corp. have played down China's role in bringing the float to the parade, at least one of the Chinese-American associations funding its construction has ties to the communist government, and in fact could be part of it.

With a week off from reporting, The Weekly apparently had a lot of time on its hands to do some writing, including a 3,000 word piece on the China/Rose Parade issue. A lot of great detail, color and evocative quotes there.

As for the news, I'd like to be the first to formally welcome the Weekly to two weeks ago!

I should have something in tomorrow's paper.

UPDATE: Best thing this week is Joe's pic of Elizabeth Kucinich, who was in town with her husband:

Kucinich was accompanied by his wife, Elizabeth, whose good looks and charm have caught the attention of pundits, and who, like her husband, described America as a nation in trouble. “We really need to look at things back home before we can speak [to the world] with legitimacy,” she said.

Only pundits notice women? Don't "good looks and charm" catch the attention of, well, other humans?

Who said I wasn't working last night?

Special meeting set for float controversy
Kenneth Todd Ruiz
Staff Writer
PASADENA — A special meeting of the City Council devoted solely to the topic of a controversial entry in next year’s Rose Parade will be held Oct. 29, according to City Manager Cynthia Kurtz.

One more entry for today on the matter, looks like staff photographer Raul Roa did get some pics of the protest, including this one.

UPDATED: And video too! (hmmm this is just the princess 'reaction shot' video, taken from the inside by web maven Esther Chou. Esther knows to be nice to me or I'll post links to all of her random blogs online! >:D