A massive crowd at Washington Square Park in New York was sent into a frenzy on Sunday afternoon during a Pride parade after fireworks were set off and attendees mistook the noise for gunfire.
Hundreds of people fled the scene, causing a stampede on the streets, but no “serious injuries” were reported, police said. Tens of thousands of people were at the parade on Sunday, which weaved through New York streets in Manhattan.
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“There were NO shots fired in Washington Square Park,” the New York Police Department said. “After an investigation, it was determined that the sound was fireworks set off at the location.”
The New York City Pride parade is one of the largest Pride parades held in the United States each year, with Sunday’s event being the first time the city hosted the gathering since the coronavirus pandemic.
The typically festive event was somewhat overshadowed by the recent Supreme Court decision announced days earlier that overturned Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide. However, the language of the decision has left uncertain other rights decided by the court in recent decades — such as access to contraception and same-sex marriage.
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“This dangerous decision puts millions in harm’s way, gives government control over our individual freedom to choose, and sets a disturbing precedent that puts many other constitutional rights and freedoms in jeopardy,” event organizers told AFP.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in Friday’s ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, arguing the court should “correct the error” of rulings that protect same-sex marriage and contraception access. Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have warned that the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision could lead to the high court reversing other precedents established under the Constitution’s due process clause.
