Princess Leias mark Carrie Fisher’s passing
Parade features Star Wars theme and characters
NEW ORLEANS // Some had their hair wrapped in side buns. Some wielded lightsabres and the dress code took in everything from Wookies to stormtroopers. They may not have come from a galaxy far, far away but thousands turned out on the streets of New Orleans to pay tribute to the late Carrie Fisher, the actress best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars movies.
In New Orleans, where death is marked by mourning and humour, the Mardi Gras group the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus paraded in honour of the woman they regard as royalty.
“This is a public demonstration of our love for Princess Leia,” said Brooke Ethridge, one of the founders of the Leijorettes, a dancing group made up of fans who dress like Princess Leia. “Our first instinct was to hit the streets and parade and celebrate Princess Leia and Carrie Fisher.”
The parade was led by the Leijorettes, followed by a brass band playing the Star Wars theme as a crowd walked behind them and hundreds more fans lined the street.
“I didn’t know her. But as a character and as a person, a writer and a smart funny fantastic woman and role model, I was heart-broken and devastated,” Dale Hrebrik said.
Fisher died on Tuesday, aged 60, four days after falling ill on board a plane on December 23. As the tough-talking Princess Leia, Fisher defied the evil empire with a store of put-downs, such as “Into the garbage chute, flyboy”. In life, her wit was no less devastating.
But even in a crowd dominated by Princess Leia, many also pointed out the contributions Fisher made after her Star Wars acting wound down, speaking openly about her struggles with mental illness as a sufferer of bipolar disorder. Although Jacquelyn Ryan came to the parade with her hair styled in Priness Leia buns, she said she was more impressed with Fisher’s activism in the field of mental heath.
“Probably my first introduction to her was Star Wars, but she as a person was really important. “Her activism, her mental health awareness, her activism for women, her unapologetic attitude about youth and beauty in Hollywood really spoke to me,” Ms Ryan said.
Fisher’s mother, the film star Debbie Reynolds, died a day after her daughter. The family is organising a joint funeral.
Fans told of Fisher’s activism in support of mental health