Pelting rain dampened the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in the US because it was lower throughout the New York Metropolis on Thursday.
However, for the second year in a row, the enormous balloons and celebration floats needed to navigate one other impediment: protesters.
Because the procession made its way down West fifty-five Avenue, a group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators entered the parade route, briefly blocking a giant balloon representing McDonald’s restaurant mascot, the red-headed clown Ronald McDonald.
They sought to remind parade-goers of the human toll of Israel’s ongoing struggle in Gaza, which has killed at the very least 44,330 Palestinians, lots of them ladies and youngsters.
During the road, the protesters unfurled a banner that said, “Don’t have a good time, genocide! Arms embargo now. Free Palestine!” Several sat cross-legged on the moist pavement, holding up small Palestinian flags.
McDonald’s, the fast-food chain whose balloon they blocked, has been the topic of an ongoing boycott after a subsidiary in Israel introduced free meals for Israeli navy members after the beginning of the struggle.
Nevertheless, the chain has distanced itself from that effort, stating that the choice was made by a neighborhood franchise, not the corporate’s international management.
Police shortly arrested 21 of the protesters on Thursday, dragging some out of the road to let the parade cross. The delay was solely a matter of minutes.
In the final year, an analogous demonstration occurred, ensuing with the detention of 34 protesters, lots of whom had been clad in white jumpsuits splattered with pretend blood.
Then, the protesters this year referred to as the US to cease supplying Israel with arms. Media stories have indicated the US plans to greenlight a new $680m arms sale to its Center East ally on top of its present navy help.
The parade, in any other case, continued with no hitch. The beloved cartoon character is like the canine Blu, who soared in the air. The Disney character Minnie Mouse made her debut as a balloon. And Broadway stars like Idina Menzel and Billy Porter rode atop floats or mingled among the many dancers and marching bands pounding the pavement throughout the parade.
The parade contained 22 giant balloons and 34 floats, and Ali aligned with the organizers. It’s televised dwell throughout the US. In the final year, the printed raked in 28.5 million viewers, a report for the occasion, in line with the publication The Hollywood Reporter.
That made it probably the most watched non-sporting occasion of the year.
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Sourcing information and pictures from aljazeera.com
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