New York City Pride revelers run screaming after fireworks are mistaken for gunfire in Manhattan park while stampede is triggered at San Francisco event after fights break out along parade route also sparking mass shooter confusion

Daily Mail UK ^ | June 26, 2022 | Harriet Alexander

[Morgana]

Revelers attending the two biggest Pride parades in the nation were running panicked from perceived gunfire on Sunday - which police in both New York City and San Francisco said was a false alarm.

With tensions at boiling point nationwide following Friday's repeal of Roe v Wade, and the angry scenes in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Cedar Rapids that evening, Pride was being celebrated this weekend with a mix of defiance and trepidation.

In Manhattan, marchers in Washington Square Park ran after hearing what sounded like gunshots.

Jeffrey Maddrey, New York Police Department's chief of patrol, tweeted on Sunday afternoon that the noise was from fireworks, and there was no gunfire.

Similarly in San Francisco, Pride partygoers in the Civic Centre dashed away in terror as rumor spread of a mass shooting.

One person said: 'I was there and it was horrible. Fell over in the stampede and no buildings were open so we were out in the street. After what happened in Oslo I didn’t want to risk it.'

Another commented: 'The way mass shootings have affected nyc is insane.

'Fireworks went off at washington square park during pride and people almost got trampled because people ran in masses in fear. like nothing i have ever seen.'

Video editor Brian Vinik tweeted photos of the ground strewn with debris, as Pride attendees fled in a rush.

'Aftermath of panic at Washington Square Park after people mistook fireworks for gunshots during Pride,' he said.

'Fortunately I was several blocks away from the main stampede. Sad reflection of the state of the world that vulnerable communities & celebrations have to be on such high alert.'

[dfwgator]

Appropriate it would be Graham Chapman saying that.

[xp38]

or....

[gunnut]

These are the people saying they are going to take over. Ha ha.