A parade float intended to be humorous triggered some locals in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, including Democratic Mayor Diane Bailey.
The controversial float debuted Wednesday evening at an annual Halloween parade, according to WPXI in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The display featured a golf cart with an impersonator of former President Donald Trump standing in the bed of the vehicle.
Its driver and two other occupants were dressed as Secret Service agents, while a prop sniper rifle rested atop the cart.
But it was the prisoner “chained” to the vehicle that sparked the outrage of some.
“The worst part of it was that there was either a rope or a chain attached to the back of the vehicle, and there was a woman who was to resemble Kamala Harris in handcuffs and chained to the back of the vehicle as though they were dragging her,” Bailey said.
“This needs to stop,” she said. “In this county, we need to go back to being educated adults, we need to go back to acting like adults.”
NEW: Fire department’s Halloween parade float showed Kamala Harris in chains, being dragged by a Trump-themed golf cart
The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department created a float for a Halloween parade in Pennsylvania
The float featured a woman in a suit, representing Kamala… pic.twitter.com/TjhuRzQRkK
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) November 1, 2024
Would you have approved this float for a parade?
Yes: 57% (648 Votes)
No: 43% (484 Votes)
Halloween Parade in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania shows Trump escorting Kamala in chains. pic.twitter.com/78FnVY4yoF
— Hoss (@ChingusBingus1) October 31, 2024
It’s unclear if someone in particular will be punished for the display, but Bailey is reportedly meeting with the borough manager and council president over the controversy, according to WPXI.
“Right now we’re just trying to do damage control the best we can, but after it’s already done I’m not sure that there’s much we can do except for going forward,” Bailey said.
One resident took particular offense to the float, claiming it represented something more sinister.
“This is not a good look, this is simulating a lynching down Main Street in Mount Pleasant. It is not the community I grew up in, not the community I came back to,” said Josh Huff, a parade attendee. “It was dark. It was dark. This has been escalated way beyond what it should be.”
The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, which sponsored the parade, apologized for the display.
“We, the members of the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, want to take a moment to sincerely apologize for allowing the offensive participants to take part in the Mount Pleasant Annual Halloween Parade last evening,” the department said in a statement.
“We do not share in the values represented by those participants and we understand how it may have hurt or offended members of our community. We’re proud to have sponsored this parade for over 70 years and its goal has always been to support our community’s children.
“We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that our future events celebrate the diversity and spirit of our community in a positive way.
“The annual Halloween Parade is a first come, first serve event and we have traditionally only provided safety & traffic control. We will be reviewing our planning processes to prevent a situation like this from happening again.
“Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to make our events more welcoming for everyone,” the statement said.
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