NEW YORK (AP) — The annual Columbus Day Parade has returned to New York City after being canceled last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Marching bands and floats traveled up Fifth Avenue on Monday as spectators waved green, white and red Italian flags. Organizers say 35,000 marchers took part in the parade and tens of thousands more watched. The Columbus Day Parade has faced criticism in recent years from activists who cite 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus’ brutal treatment of Indigenous people in the West Indies. Some U.S. communities have responded to the controversy by replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.
Photo: A spectator wears a protective mask as they watch participants roll up Fifth Avenue during the Columbus Day parade, Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, in the Manhattan borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
