LET FREEDOM POP
Police presence reassures attendees at capital’s parade
Fireworks explode in front of the Lower One World Trade Center, left, during the Freedom Fireworks Festival in Jersey City. From fireworks soaring above the Washington Monument to hot dogs being downed in New York City’s famed frank-eating contest, Americans weren’t shy about celebrating their nation’s birthday. Security was tightened at celebrations large and small, but people still turned out.
Shaogang Wang watched the lively Fourth of July Parade on Monday from a distance, standing behind a chainlink fence to keep away from Constitution Avenue, packed shoulder to shoulder with throngs of people.
In the wake of recent bombings claimed by the Islamic State around the globe, including three major attacks in the past week alone, Wang, 34, from New Jersey was concerned about his safety.
“We’re going to avoid going into the crowd,” he said. “That’s why I’m standing far away.”
He wasn’t the only one uneasy over terrorist threats as thousands celebrated America’s independence from one of the most patriotic spots of all that’s also a potential terrorist target: the National Mall.
Security concerns have been in the back of Hope Stewart’s mind since she arrived in town this week to celebrate her mother’s 90th birthday.
“But we’re here anyway,” the 59-year-old from Australia said. “If we were too concerned, we wouldn’t have chosen to come here.”
Tens of thousands of people packed the National Mall on Monday even though rain loomed in the forecast.
Many hoped to catch one of the nation’s largest firework displays, as long as the potential for severe weather held off.
Tucked in the crowds were hundreds of police officers and security personnel, some plainclothed, as D.C. ramped up security for the events, as it does every year.
The additional police presence put Amina Jackson, 35, at ease. “I feel pretty safe,” she said after no- ticing several officers while walking from Constitution Avenue to the Washington Monument.
In New York, authorities sought to assure the public that a weekend explosion that severely injured a Virginia man in Central Park was not related to terrorism.
Detective Ahmed Nasser told USA TODAY that physicians were forced to amputate Connor Golden’s left leg below the knee after the 18-year-old college student stepped on a homemade firework or other explosive while rock climbing Sunday.
Nasser reiterated that there were no specific, credible threats directed at the city’s celebrations.
Details on the type of explosive and the reason it was in the park have not been determined, Nasser said.
NYPD Deputy Chief John O’Connell declined to even call it an “explosive device” Sunday, saying it was probably part of an experiment that may have been left in the park.
For Victor Michael Valenzuela, bringing his children down to the National Mall in Washington to show them a little bit about the United States’ past on one of its most historic days taught a bigger lesson.
“We can’t let these people dictate how we live our lives,” said Valenzuela, 46, whose 23 years in the Air Force have made him vigilant about security. “This is our country, and we need to live it, we need to enjoy it and we need to be proud of it.”