Tech band gonna march in NOLA Mardi Gras Parade Feb. 26

[HogDawg]

Since the topic is "Mardi Gras", I remember attending Mardi Gras during the Policeman's Strike in 1979. None of the parades were downtown due to the strike. Many were cancelled, and most were moved to the suburbs in Jefferson Parish or on the west bank.

But even though none of the parades were in downtown New Orleans, the city was still packed with hundreds of thousands of party goers, and only national guardsmen on the street corners to maintain civility. The French quarter was simply out of control. It was pretty scary.

Here's a very good read about the 1979 Policeman's Strike and how it affected New Orleans and Mardi Gras:

http://www.mardigras.com/news/2016/0...he_year_w.html

A week before Mardi Gras, and after five days of increasing tensions between the Morial administration and police, the captains of 18 krewes -- after meeting in a joint session at the Downtown Howard Johnson's -- issued a statement. This time, it wasn't the traditional proclamation of their parade dates or that of their annual bal masques.



The front page of The Times-Picayune of Feb. 21, 1979, announcing the cancellation of Mardi Gras festivities in New Orleans due to a lingering police strike. (File image)Mike Scott, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

This time, their message was more dire: Carnival 1979 would be cancelled.

As much as the police wanted to blame the administration, which had repeatedly made concessions during negotiations with the union, public sentiment had turned -- and it wasn't in favor of the cops or the Teamsters.

"Nothing but harm can come to the spirit of New Orleans' Mardi Gras through the day-by-day suspense of cancellation, dependent upon the final judgment by out-of-town union leaders," the krewe captains wrote.

They continued: "It is wrong to use Mardi Gras as blackmail in this dispute. The same procedure can be used each year and we are not going to let our organizations be puppets in such a plan. Therefore, we cancel our parades in New Orleans."

A front-page editorial headlined "City Under Siege" further excoriated the Teamsters and the out-of-town union leaders who were described as fanning the flames of police officer discontent.

"To the strikers goes the blame for the terrible turn that events have now had to take," the editorial read, "and they are wrecking themselves in the eyes of the very public on whom they are dependent for the tax dollars needed now and the future."

[HogDawg]

The end.

On March 4, five days after Mardi Gras, the New Orleans police strike suddenly ended. Bowing under the turn of public opinion against them and the loss of bargaining leverage brought by the Carnival crisis -- not to mention personal pain of lost paychecks, including the lucrative overtime pay that typically comes with Carnival season -- hundreds of officers traded their picket signs for their badges and reported for duty.


Not helping was that Teamsters leaders failed to persuade the city's firefighters and sanitation workers to join the labor stoppage.


And just like that, the strike was over. Memorably, it had brought the first peacetime cancellation of Carnival since Reconstruction.
It was also, to date, the last.


"The union failed to realize how important Mardi Gras was to the community," Police Superintendent James Parsons said in a UPI wire story distributed to newspapers nationally. "This community rose up -- it filled this community with a deep resolve not to be treated that way."

[Houston Techsan]

I was there that year, too. I got claustrophobia in the French Quarter, until we finally made it to where the drag queens were having their style show. Those were some pretty impressive costumes. My best friend lived there from 1973 to 1980 and I got to go earlier - back in 1976 - but couldn't stay for Mardi Gras day itself but still say a lot of the weekend parades along Canal and Poydras Streets.

[70TECHGRAD]

I remember when I was at Tech the New Orleans students were amazed we didn't get Mardi Gras off. At that time no one in North Louisiana celebratd Mardi Gras.

When I was at TECH in 1967, we had to skip classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to be in N.O. on Fat Tuesday. No motel rooms available, so we slept in the car! There were 6 of us.

[Champ967]

When I was at TECH in 1967, we had to skip classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to be in N.O. on Fat Tuesday. No motel rooms available, so we slept in the car! There were 6 of us.

30 years later, DallasDawg & I went to Mardi Gras. I had a van. A full size conversion van with a fold-down couch in the back. Each of us brought a errrr .... special guest.

That vehicle served as a "home base" for the night. But I'm not certain anybody slept in it.

Oh, and school was definitely closed for the long weekend.

[The Historian]

With the warm weather there were huge crowds last night for the Nyx parade and again tonight for Muses. Nyx had 43 floats. It went on and on. They bill themselves as a SuperKrewe, and it's hard to argue with them.

[PawDawg]

Like this year, there have been years when winter/spring quarter break coincided with Mardi Gras. That does not happen every year. I don't remember getting out more than a day or two (if at all) for Mardi Gras back in the day.

[sportdawg]

When I was in HS at Byrd, we marched in 4 parades in 3 days in N.O. area!

[The Historian]

http://www.wdsu.com/article/lucky-bo...orward/8973457

Good story about a boy who caught a coveted Nyx purse on Wednesday night.

[louisiana_dog]

I'll be on St Charles with a tech polo. Can't wait to see them!

[louisiana_dog]

They are at the beginning of the parade. I wish they had the whole band, but I'm guessing money wasn't worth that.

[dawg80]

Last night in the Natchitoches parade was a float entitled "Tailgaters" with a football theme, of course. There was a huge Tech flag hanging off the back of the float.

[TheRustonRustler]

I wish they had the whole band, but I'm guessing money wasn't worth that.

A lot of didn't go due to being over the break. Also, it was optional since school isn't in session and they can't require it due to marching band only being a legit class in the fall quarter.

I personally didn't go because marching for hours while holding a bass drum sounds abysmal and my back can't take that much over that time (would like to be able to walk when i get old lol) and need the hours at work. Was really looking forward to marching in it at the beginning of the year, but oh well.

[TechFanno1]

We had time off during 1971-75 at Tech.

Must have started in 1971. Mardi Gras was just a NO deal wgen I was there 1966-70

[champion110]

Doesn't look like the full band, but love what they are playing!
https://www.facebook.com/gina.l.giar...4310817476935/