New York’s Veggie Pride Parade wound through downtown Manhattan yesterday, stretching from its defiant start in the Meat Packing District to its triumphant conclusion at the Washington Square Park. The event, intended to raise awareness about the benefits of a vegetarian and vegan diet, featured participants dressed in costumes like a seven-foot-tall pea pod, a giant carrot, and, according to the Times, “a giant pink replica of a human colon, replete with polyps and a sullied colostomy bag, [bringing] up the rear.”
Also on hand was infamous vigilante Bernard Goetz, who turned to vegetarianism not long after shooting four youths he says were trying to rob him on a subway in 1984. The parade was started by author Pamela Rice (“101 Reasons Why I’m a Vegetarian”) and inspired by a similar event in Paris. Yesterday’s festivities culminated with awards for best costume; though it’s not yet clear who won, the smart money’s on the colon, which, fortunately or unfortunately, is not pictured below.
