Pigasus (politics)

Pigasus was a pig and was a satiric candidate for President of the United States for the Youth International Party (Yippies). The pig's name was a play on Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology. Led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, Pigasus was purchased by Phil Ochs and the candidacy was announced during the massive protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The Yippies demanded that Pigasus be treated as a legitimate candidate, with secret service protection and foreign policy briefings. After this episode, Pigasus was a member of the Hog Farm group, and moved with them. The candidate was also featured in a later New York City parade that started at the Gansevoort Street Sanitation Department pier on the Hudson River and proceeded to Tompkins Square in the East Village.

Further reading

• Brett Mizelle (January 30, 2007). "Pigasus and the Yippies". The Wonderful Pig of Knowledge!. http://pigofknowledge.blogspot.com/2007/01/pigasus-and-yippies.html. Retrieved 2007-09-22. 
• David Holloway (January 29, 2002). "Yippies". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419101355/?tag=content;col1. Retrieved 2007-09-22. 
• "Pigasus the Immortal". Porkopolis. September 27, 2008. http://www.porkopolis.org/ftr/pigasus.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-25.