2008年元旦，聞名于世的第119屆美國帕薩迪納玫瑰游行順利舉行。無數(shù)游人從世界各地飛往美國加州的帕薩迪納參與這一盛會(huì)。以“同一個(gè)世界，同一個(gè)夢(mèng)想”為主題的北京奧運(yùn)花車在游行中盛裝亮相，贏得公眾一致喝彩，一舉奪得最佳主題大獎(jiǎng)。全球媒體對(duì)玫瑰游行盛況爭(zhēng)相報(bào)道。許多人不知道，一貫逢中必反、逢節(jié)必鬧的“法輪功”邪教組織，在這次巡游中再次扮演了不光彩的角色。美國當(dāng)?shù)刂髁髅襟w大都對(duì)“法輪功”企圖阻撓奧運(yùn)花車活動(dòng)不予理會(huì)，或以“失敗、應(yīng)者廖廖”一筆帶過，還有一些海外媒體則對(duì)其在玫瑰游行上的丑行進(jìn)行一一揭露。
主流媒體冷對(duì)“法輪功”
盡管事前“法輪功”揚(yáng)言要組織1000人在參與玫瑰花車游行時(shí)，呼吁人們?cè)诒本W運(yùn)花車所到之處，背對(duì)奧運(yùn)花車，以此玷污奧運(yùn)花車。但所有海外主流媒體報(bào)道一致表明，來自世界各地的玫瑰游行參觀者對(duì)此應(yīng)者廖廖。AHN媒體集團(tuán)以《抗議者玫瑰游行未獲支持》（Protesters Fail To Gain Support During Rose Parade）為題，稱“法輪功”抗議2008年北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)花車，但幾乎沒有觀眾認(rèn)可他們。而對(duì)游行進(jìn)行轉(zhuǎn)播的KNBC電臺(tái)第四頻道的解說員對(duì)抗議者不予理睬，同時(shí)未給示威者任何畫面。
當(dāng)?shù)鼐奖Ｗo(hù)花車嚴(yán)陣以待
為北京奧運(yùn)花車設(shè)立的安全防備措施可謂相當(dāng)可觀。由于“法輪功”早先聲稱要對(duì)奧運(yùn)花車舉行抗議活動(dòng)，并鑒于“法輪功”的鬧事記錄，警方對(duì)“法輪功”分子的行為密切關(guān)注。大約有1200名執(zhí)法人員被分派到巡游隊(duì)伍中，在花車游行前及巡游期間均已到位，以應(yīng)付任何可能發(fā)生的干擾。
sbsun.com以《玫瑰游行未受“08年中國奧運(yùn)”抗議者影響》（Parade untouched by protesters of '08 China Olympics'）為題報(bào)道一名39歲來自威尼斯男子安德魯·科尼希（Andrew Koenig）因涉嫌高舉標(biāo)牌，阻擋其他游人觀看，被警方逮捕。CBS同時(shí)也報(bào)道了安德魯被捕一事，報(bào)道稱安德魯已被傳訊，他承諾將在法庭出現(xiàn)，而后獲釋。
KNBC/NBC 稱有幾百名“法輪功”示威者在游行線路沿線進(jìn)行示威活動(dòng)。但美聯(lián)社報(bào)道稱，實(shí)際上僅有20名“法輪功”分子沿著游行線路打坐冥想，以此抗議奧運(yùn)花車。
游人們對(duì)奧運(yùn)花車抱以歡呼
帕薩迪納花車游行活動(dòng)總導(dǎo)演、好萊塢資深導(dǎo)演Ron Miziker興奮地表示，北京奧運(yùn)花車非常漂亮，所有的表演者的表現(xiàn)都非常好，他甚至用“好得不能再好了”來形容。他還強(qiáng)調(diào)說，最佳主題獎(jiǎng)是20多個(gè)獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)中最重要的一個(gè)獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)，能得到這個(gè)獎(jiǎng)非常好。
洛杉磯時(shí)報(bào)報(bào)道了來自上海的王凱（音譯Wong Kai）對(duì)奧運(yùn)花車充滿驕傲之情：“我為奧運(yùn)花車能參與如此著名的玫瑰游行而自豪?！?/p>
美聯(lián)社報(bào)道來自美國路易斯安娜州阿卡迪亞55歲的瑪西婭·希普（Marcia Thoop）一直關(guān)注著奧運(yùn)花車，車上裝飾著奧運(yùn)吉祥物，兩側(cè)圍繞著進(jìn)行精彩表演的京劇演員、雜技演員。
南加州華人社團(tuán)聯(lián)合會(huì)主席張素久說：“百年奧運(yùn)的夢(mèng)想將于今年實(shí)現(xiàn)，我們?cè)诿赖娜A人華僑贊助北京奧運(yùn)花車參加今年1月1日的花車游行，就是想表達(dá)海外華人華僑對(duì)北京奧運(yùn)會(huì)的支持和期盼。2008年帕薩迪那玫瑰花車游行的主題是‘通向世界慶典的護(hù)照’，可以說北京奧運(yùn)花車比任何一個(gè)花車更適合這個(gè)主題。最終我們得到最佳主題獎(jiǎng)，這是一件令人歡欣鼓舞的事?！?
“法輪功”尋釁滋事令人生厭
據(jù)美聯(lián)社報(bào)道，許多來自伊利諾斯州的參觀者在觀看了下午的玫瑰杯足球賽后稱，對(duì)于一些觀看者的行為非常失望。游行的參與者對(duì)示威者在游行中的舉動(dòng)報(bào)以噓聲。來自佛羅里達(dá)63歲的瑪麗·菲切爾（Mary Feichtel）認(rèn)為，在這個(gè)場(chǎng)合舉行抗議活動(dòng)并不合時(shí)宜。
當(dāng)奧運(yùn)花車進(jìn)行巡游時(shí)，一些游人聽到了關(guān)于中國人權(quán)記錄及中國是否能與舉辦2008年奧運(yùn)會(huì)相配的討論。sbsun.com報(bào)道中稱，來自帕市的John Schwarzenbach說：“我認(rèn)為沒有清除法輪功是中國的恥辱，也是奧林匹克的恥辱?！?/p>
而來自瓦倫西亞（Valencia）的布賴恩·麥克德瑪特（Brian McDermott）在聽到相關(guān)爭(zhēng)議后表示，示威者“對(duì)玫瑰游行上綱上線”是可恥的。他說：“我理解有些人與中國政府存在問題，但人們應(yīng)該考慮的是它究竟是什么？這是玫瑰游行的一輛參賽花車！”
“法輪功”黔驢技窮
美聯(lián)社報(bào)道，1月1日早上，“法輪功”舉辦了一個(gè)賽前記者招待會(huì)，加州理工學(xué)院法輪功發(fā)言人李建中（John Li）在會(huì)上宣布“法輪功”將計(jì)劃起訴帕薩迪納市，控告不明身份的公職人員和秘密個(gè)人侵犯了他們的公民權(quán)利，以及帕市警察拒絕他們沿游行路線組織抗議活動(dòng)的計(jì)劃。
不過，這種訴訟到底能給法輪功帶來什么后果還很難說。有一點(diǎn)可以肯定，隨著“法輪功”不斷濫訴和擾亂當(dāng)?shù)毓娬Ｉ睿@個(gè)組織日益被主流社會(huì)所反感。美國《威特每日新聞》2007年12月29日的一篇報(bào)道，就對(duì)法輪功把訴訟作為一種工具來保護(hù)其利益并不引以為恥，以及法輪功動(dòng)輒對(duì)批評(píng)者施以威脅和人身攻擊的做法進(jìn)行了揭露。
AP: Thousands cheer giant Rose Parade floats
A giant blossoming rose, a pickup truck that morphed into a spacecraft, and a Chinese dragon undulating in the breeze brought cheers from thousands of spectators as those floats and others rolled by Tuesday in the Rose Parade.
Those who spent New Year's Eve camped curbside were joined at dawn by giddy visitors arriving by car, bus and train. The city estimates more than a million people visit Pasadena during the parade and Rose Bowl game festivities.
Gail Paulson was drawn to the parade route, although she is blind.
"There's a lot a blind person can appreciate at this parade. There's electricity in the air, the smell of the flowers, the clomping of the horses," Paulson, 64, of Oxnard, said as her guide dog, Alton, led her to a seat.
The 119th edition of the Tournament of Roses began as sunshine bathed the 5 1/2-mile parade route. This year's theme was "Passport to the World's Celebrations."
One of the biggest crowd pleasers was American Honda's "Passport to the Future." It featured a pickup truck that changed in a cloud of smoke into a spaceship.
"It was awesome - what it looked like after it transformed. It looked like it was a rocket ship," said Noah Herndon, 10, from Glendale.
Some 1,200 law enforcement officers were assigned to the parade to deal with any disruptions. Twenty-three people were arrested, many during the night for drunk-in-public violations, police said.
Two groups were protesting at the parade. Dozens of war protesters led by "Peace Mom" Cindy Sheehan staked out spots across from television cameras, hoisting signs reading "Impeachment is Patriotic." The protesters were booed by parade watchers sitting in the grandstand.
"This is not the occasion for this," said Mary Feichtel, 63, of Florida.
One protester was arrested for holding up a sign and obstructing others' view of the parade, Pasadena Police Department Lt. Keith Jones said.
After the parade finished, a group of more than 100 war protesters marched down the route. Sheehan spoke to a gathering of protesters at Pasadena City Hall.
"We are all here for accountability," Sheehan said. "You didn't ruin anybody's parade, they got to see the truth."
Members of the Chinese Falun Gong spiritual movement protested a float honoring the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Demonstrators wanted people to turn their backs on the float as it rolled along the route, though few appeared to join in the protest.
"I don't know enough about it to turn my back," said Marcia Thoop, 55, of Arcadia as she watched the float, adorned with Olympic mascots and flanked by plate-twirling acrobats, drive by.
Many in the crowd were from Illinois to watch the afternoon Rose Bowl football game, which ended in disappointment for the visitors. No. 6 Southern California beat No. 13 Illinois 49-17 in a lopsided game.
Illinois native Jenny Sweer, 43, cuddled up in a sleeping bag in a beach chair waiting for the parade to begin.
"I'm cold and tired. I didn't get much sleep. It's a good year to be here because we're from Illinois," Sweer said.
(Associated Press, Jan 1, 2008)