In New York, the Halloween parade is very political

The American presidential election was the backdrop for this year’s New York Halloween parade, which saw Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and even a Kamala Harris parade on Thursday.

In the Manhattan area, in the center of the “Big Apple”, tens of thousands of people took part in the Halloween parade, which was particularly political this year.

Some appeared with their faces hidden behind a mask bearing the image of Donald Trump. Others preferred a red wig and red cap emblazoned with the name of his movement “Make America Great Again”.

Uncle Sam, a witch and Donald Trump prepare to take part in the 51st annual Halloween parade in Lower Manhattan, New York, on October 31, 2024 (AFP – Adam GRAY)

In the parade, dozens also wore cat dresses, a subtle reference to the derogatory phrase used by Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, who in 2021 called childless women “women’s shopping.” in them.

Slogans like “Don’t go back” or “the freedom of the body” appeared on the signs that were celebrated by these New Yorkers.

A stone’s throw from the parade, a huge store of clothing and accessories greeted latecomers looking for a last-minute surprise.

“We have masks of Trump, Biden and Harris,” Joey Katz, 22, a Hunter College student and store employee, told AFP.

“The Trump masks, I couldn’t even give you a total number, but I sold five to ten a day. For the Kamala masks, I sold one or two during the whole season,” he said.

A man dressed as a pro-Palestinian LGBT activist wearing his own headscarf poses at the 6th annual MAGAWEEN party on top of the Young Republican Club of New York in New York, October 26, 2024 (AFP – KENA BETANCUR)

Near the parade route, Jay Munez, 29, from Queens, the New York city where Donald Trump lives, wears a red cap with the Republican candidate’s image on it.

When asked about the choice of this outfit, the latter answered, not without irony: “I support this one 100%”.

The Young Republican Club of New York, a group of young Republicans, held its annual summit party, “MAGAWEEN”, on Saturday, again referring to Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.