US Rose Parade gets 'occupied'

Thousands of anti-Wall Street protesters have rallied during the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California to voice their anger against the social and economic inequalities in the US. Chanting “Banks got bailed out, we got sold out,” the protesters carried a 20-meter-long octopus float, symbolizing the grip of corporate greed on ordinary Americans. They also carried a 75-meter-long banner reading, "We the People" to represent the US constitution. "This is about getting money out of politics," said Greg Stevens, a 38-year-old public health lecturer at the University of Southern California. "I support everything this movement is about." There was a heavy police presence but no arrests were made. The annual New Year's Day event took place on January 2 this year because New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. An estimated 40 million people viewed this year's procession on US television networks. However, the live TV coverage ended immediately after the occupiers began their march. US police have so far arrested over 5,800 anti-corporate protesters since the beginning of the movement in September last year. The Occupy Wall Street movement began when a group of demonstrators gathered in New York's financial district on September 17 to protest against the unjust distribution of wealth in the country and the excessive influence of big corporations on US policies. The protest movement gave voice to outcries and grievances of people against poverty, unemployment, war, and corporatism.