Marching on Harvard, dressed like a panda

It takes a certain kind of man to walk publicly in front of hundreds, probably thousands, from Tufts University to Harvard, dressed as a panda, fuzzy ears and all. Today, I discovered I am that kind of man. The occasion (as if one needs one!) was honkfest, a "revolutionary street spectacle of never-before-seen proportions" -- basically a good old fashioned protest parade with live marching bands mixed with floats. More of a good-natured dadaist freak-out than a "madder than hell" political protest, it was loud, colourful, cheerful, and loads of fun.

We were told to come "dressed like endangered pandas", which meant facepaint + black-and-white clothing approximating panda colourations + bandages indicating injury.

The group was called "Endangered Animals with Lipstick", and the float was a giant syringe marked "STICK IT TO ME BABY" riding on a hospital gurney, and the overall political message was something to do with health care, the environment, and Sarah Palin. For or against? Not sure, really. Whatever it was, we were mad as hell and weren't going to take it any more. At the end, Sam asked "Pat, did we win the protest?" "Yes!" I replied.

I was the designated flag-bearer, which meant that if I had any sense of self-consciousness whatsoever I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, as I was placed front-and-center. The size of the banner may have been some help in this regard, unless someone recognized my shoes. Here's me and Karl Marx:

(photo cc Chris Devers)

G and the boys followed up near the float. The crowds were thick along the full length of the march to Harvard Square, and there were many people with cameras; I am sure that a quick search on flickr will reveal many interesting artifacts.

In the end, lots of fun; the kids would have had a great time, if it they hadn't been frieked out by this guy, who was part of our group:

(picture cc kharied -- thanks!) See also some nice photos from a better photographer than I.