Huge crowd out for Thanksgiving parade

Thousands watched the parade along 6th Avenue in New York. Photo: Reuters
Thousands watched the parade along 6th Avenue in New York. Photo: Reuters
There was a high level of security at the annual parade. Photo: Reuters
There was a high level of security at the annual parade. Photo: Reuters

Spectators packed Manhattan sidewalks on Thursday to watch the marching bands, floats and giant balloons of Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, held without incident under tight security almost two weeks after deadly attacks in Paris.

New York officials expected more than 3 million spectators to have lined the route for the city's signature parade in its 89th year. They had urged residents and visitors to carry on with holiday plans, saying there were no credible threats to the most populous city in the United States.

President Barack Obama sought to reassure Americans on Wednesday they were safe to travel over the holiday. Police, who were patrolling in record numbers, reported no incidents or arrests as the parade ended at the Macy's flagship store in midtown Manhattan.

Officers walked alongside many parade groups and helicopters hovered overhead amid enhanced security following the November 13 attacks in Paris. Islamic State militants have claimed responsibility for the assault in which 130 people died.

Debbie Irey, a tourist from Salem, Oregon, said security was on her mind as she and her husband watched the parade since New York stood out as a potential target.

"You can't live in fear," said Irey, who works in the financial sector. "The police officers with guns in Times Square heightens your awareness."

About 50 million people worldwide were expected to have watched the televised 4km parade, which ushers in the US holiday season and the busiest time of year to travel.

Crowds up to 80 people deep in places applauded the baton twirlers, stilt walkers and giant helium balloons of such cartoon characters as Snoopy and Hello Kitty that hovered over the parade route.

Children on their parents' shoulders narrated the parade to those in the crowd unable to see. Some youngsters climbed onto police vans, adding to the holiday atmosphere.

Police had added members of a new counter-terrorism unit to parade security. Officers guarded subway entrances and circulated through crowds under mostly sunny skies amid temperatures of about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15d egrees Celsius).

"The security is so stringent in NYC that it puts you at ease right from your arrival at the airport," said Anne Marie Sheehy of Liverpool, England, who was watching the parade with her travel companion Paula Deegan.

A Reuters-Ipsos poll shows Americans have become more concerned about threats since the Paris attacks and identified terrorism as the most important problem facing the country.

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