Article: LA Greens Take it to the Streets - Greens’ Doo Dah Appearance Deemed a Great Success

PASADENA - Under a hot Southern California sun the Los Angeles Greens met in Pasadena to bring a 'green presence' to the 29th Annual Doo Dah parade. This was the third year for the LA Greens bringing a socially conscious message to the estimated 40,000 or more people who showed up to see the 'doins' at the parade.

"The Green Prix: 'Gentleman STOP Your Engines,'" was this years theme for the Green entry in the infamous Doo Dah extravaganva. Complete with banners, homemade signs, puppets, bicycles, a SEGWAY, electric motorscooters, unicycles and other forms of transportation, including a biodiesel powered automobile, the entry was designed to reach out to one of the Green Party's main constituency, the commuting public.

Since many LA Greens ride in Critical Mass bike rides, the LA local flyered at rides and received inquires from LA Critical Mass riders, Bicycle Kitchen, LA County Bike Coalition, Santa Monica Critical Mass and wheelman clubs concerning participation in the event. They also did substantial email outreach to these various groups including a SEGWAY email group that attracted Mike O'Brian a local member of the community who rode his SEGWAY in the parade.

LA Green member Denise Robb and friend brought a shopping cart and dressed as street people to emphasize the harmful effects to the public welfare of the Bush administrations preocupation with pre-emptive war and imperialism. Several people at the event noted it is a shame that all the money we as a nation are spending on a war for oil is being taken out of the social program budgets that feed and clothe the nations poor.

Daniel Streebin, of the Biodeisel Coalition, brought his 1984 Mercedes Benz biodiesel car with him to showcase in the Green Prix march for energy alternatives. He was particularly proud of the banner and decals that his car 'wore' as he drove it in the parade. "Biodiesel - No War Required," and "This Car is a Vegetarian!" Streebin stressed that if the US would make a priority of biodeisel fuel production that we could easily cut our dependence on foreign oil in just a few years.

Marching with the Green's at the Doo Dah parade was Congressional candidate for 2006 (28th District) Byron DeLear. "I'm marching to get war profiteers outof our politics and out of our lives," DeLear said. "The drive for profits and the greedy people who pursue them is what has addicted our civilization to oil and to WAR! It's all about profits¯and there comes a time when people need to care enough to clean up the republic AND the environment."

Longtime Green, and Mt. Washington resident Jim Leong rode his bright yellow electric microscooter in the parade with a large bumper sticker on the front that said, "War is Not the Answer." He took pride in the fact that his vehicle emitted no pollutants and was a fairly efficient means of transportation.

In addition to members of the LA Greens who marched in the parade, a couple of other groups marched with and near the Greens in solidarity to their principles. I'ma WarMonger and I'saih Hogg, two well dressed members of the Billionaires for Bush were seen working the crowd and reminding them that, "We're Biparisan - we buy Democrats AND Republicans."

The California Clean Money Campaign also had 3 members marching with pig faces, handing out fake $100,000 bills and emphasizing the importance of taking big money out of politics. They were promoting the support of CA assembly bill 583 to take the corporate interests out of politics.

A great amount of work and preparation was put into this effort during several weekends prior to the event. Members met at the Peace Center on 3rd street to coordinate their activities and put togather their props. "We put in a huge amount of work to craft our theme, 'Green Party Green Prix: LADIES and Gentlemen, Stop your Engines' distinctive to the crowd and I think we should give special mention to the artistic mastermind of our local, Cathy McKnight," said LA Green Lisa Taylor.

This was the largest Green Party Doo Dah unit in 4 yrs, thanks to all the outreach they did. They used their protransit theme to outreach to groups which should be a natural constituency. The unit passed out over 2,000 flyers to parade goers with their arms outreached looking for freebies.

The LA Greens may be seen marching in the Doo Dah parade on an upcoming special broadcast on Travel TV channel with commentary by host Fred Willard. Check your local directories for details.

Pictured at Right: I’ma War Monger and I’saih Hogg from Billionaires for Bush.