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#10. Pigasus the Immortal
On August 23, 1968, at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Yippies (Youth International Party) presented their candidate for the U.S. Presidency. He was "Pigasus the Immortal," a 160-lb pig. The Yippies argued, "They nominate a president and he eats the people. We nominate a president and the people eat him." His platform was to be a pile of garbage -- "just like the platform of all the other parties."

As befitting Pigasus' status as a presidential candidate, the Yippies demanded he be given Secret Service protection and be brought to the White House for a foreign policy briefing. The federal government never responded to these demands.

Pigasus arrived at the Civic center plaza in a beat-up old station wagon. He stepped out onto the pavement, amidst cries of "Pork Power" and "Vote Pig" and promptly flopped on his belly. But his political career proved to be brief. Barely had his official introduction begun when the police arrived and loaded him into a police wagon, citing a law that banned bringing livestock into a city. His Yippie handlers were also arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, conspiracy, and inciting a riot. They became known as the Chicago Eight and were the defendants in a highly publicized trial.

Pigasus was taken to the Anti-Cruelty society, given a bath, fed, and placed in an outside pen. His subsequent fate is unknown.


(http://www.museumofhoaxes.com)






Pigasus was a 145 pound (66 kg) hog.  On August 23, 1968, he was nominated for President of the United States just before the opening of the Democratic National Convention as a theatrical gesture by the Youth International Party (Yippies). At a rally announcing his candidacy, Pigasus was seized by Chicago policemen and several of his Yippie backers were arrested for disorderly conduct.

Campaign for U.S. President

In 1968, Pigasus was nominated for the U.S. Presidency by the Youth International Party (Yippies).  The pig's name was a play on Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology.

Selected for the campaign by Dennis Dalrymple, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, candidate Pigasus was purchased from a farmer by Phil Ochs.  His candidacy was announced during the massive protests leading up to and during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.  The Yippies demanded that Pigasus be treated as a legitimate candidate, with secret service protection and White House foreign policy briefings.

One reason why the Yippies preferred Pigasus was that "if we can't have him in the White House, we can have him for breakfast."

The Pigasus press conference and arrests

The nomination of Pigasus for president occurred on the morning of August 23, 1968, at the Chicago Civic Center (subsequently renamed as the Richard J. Daley Center) in front of the Picasso sculpture.

Pigasus was transported to the rally in a station wagon, escorted by seven Yippie leaders. There were 50 Yippies carrying campaign signs and handing out literature. There were about 200 spectators on hand, along with ten uniformed Chicago policeman and several detectives, under the personal supervision of 1st District Commander James Riordan. The pig was placed in a police wagon and removed to the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society.

Jerry Rubin was in the process of reading the "acceptance speech" for him when Pigasus was "arrested" by the police.  Seven Yippies including Jerry Rubin and Phil Ochs, were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. The driver of the station wagon was also charged with obstructing traffic.  Rubin later said that a policeman came to the jail cell and said "You guys are all going to jail for the rest of your lives- the pig squealed on you!" In fact the Yippies were released after each posted a $25 bond.

Trial

Pigasus and the Yippies were charged with disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and bringing a pig to Chicago. At the trial, defense counsel William Kunstler accused the Democratic Party of doing exactly the same thing.

The trial of the Yippies was covered by CBS, NBC, ABC, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Chicago Sun Times, the AP and UPI wire services, and every major news outlet in the United States.

In addition to singer/songwriter and Youth International Party activist Phil Ochs, numerous high-ranking members of the Youth International Party testified to the seriousness with which Pigasus had been vetted and briefed, in preparation for his campaign.

Phil Ochs' testimony:
“ MR. KUNSTLER: After you arrived in Chicago did you have any discussion with Jerry Rubin?

THE WITNESS: Yes, I did. We discussed the nomination of a pig for President.
MR. KUNSTLER: Would you state what you said and what Jerry said.
THE WITNESS: We discussed the details. We discussed going out to the countryside around Chicago and buying a pig from a farmer and bringing him into the city for the purposes of his nominating speech.
MR. KUNSTLER: Did you have any role yourself in that?
THE WITNESS: Yes, I helped select the pig, and I paid for him.
MR. KUNSTLER: Now, did you find a pig at once when you went out?
THE WITNESS: No, it was very difficult. We stopped at several farms and asked where the pigs were.
MR. KUNSTLER: None of the farmers referred you to the police station, did they?
THE WITNESS: No.
MR. FORAN: Objection.
THE COURT: I sustain the objection...
MR. KUNSTLER: Would you state what, if anything, happened to the pig?
THE WITNESS: The pig was arrested with seven people.
MR. KUNSTLER: When did that take place?
THE WITNESS: This took place on the morning of August 23, at the Civic Center underneath the Picasso sculpture.
MR. KUNSTLER: Who were those seven people?
THE WITNESS: Jerry Rubin. Stew Albert, Wolfe Lowenthal, myself is four; I am not sure of the names of the other three.
MR. KUNSTLER: What were you doing when you were arrested?
THE WITNESS: We were arrested announcing the pig's candidacy for President.
MR. KUNSTLER: Did Jerry Rubin speak?
THE WITNESS: Yes, Jerry Rubin was reading a prepared speech for the pig---the opening sentence was something like, "I, Pigasus, hereby announce my candidacy for the Presidency of the United States." He was interrupted in his talk by the police who arrested us...
MR. KUNSTLER: Do you remember what you were charged with?
THE WITNESS: I believe the original charge mentioned was something about an old Chicago law about bringing livestock into the city, or disturbing the peace, or disorderly conduct, and when it came time for the trial, I believe the charge was disorderly conduct.
MR. KUNSTLER: Were you informed by a police officer that the pig had squealed on you?
THE WITNESS: Yes.
”
After the 1968 Democratic convention

Sources vary on the fate of Pigasus. There is some speculation that a police officer ate him.

The Chicago Tribune, on September 30, 1968, said that after Pigasus was taken into custody by Chicago police, they transported him to the The Anti-Cruelty Society, along with a sow called "Mrs. Pigasus", and a piglet, all collected after being paraded by the Yippies as part of their demonstrations around the time of the convention. The swine were later transferred to a farm in Grayslake, Illinois.

Five months after the nomination of Pigasus, during the inauguration ceremony of President Nixon, the Yippies held their own inauguration ceremony - for President Pigasus.

Many years later, the New York Times obituaries for Dennis Dalrymple, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin all highlighted the nomination of Pigasus for President, during the Democratic Convention of 1968, as an extraordinary moment in political theater.


(https://en.wikipedia.org)

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Pigasus said:

in the yippie spirit, i present the link to a .pdf scan of this entire book by jerry rubin:


hi-res
lo-res

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