By COLlive reporter
Photos by Itzik Roytman
The West Indian-American Day Parade took place Monday, marching down Eastern Parkway from Utica Avenue to Flatbush Avenue, with heavy police presence.
New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio was there, along with Borough President Eric Adams and many of the hopefuls in this September’s upcoming elections, such as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
For the most part, the Jewish residents of Crown Heights kept away from the parade which celebrated Caribbean food, music and dancing with colorful costumes.
And for good reason. Local news reported that the Labor Day parade was once again marred by violence, as police were investigating multiple shootings near the parade route.
At least five people were shot, one fatally, near the route of the parade in a string of early morning shootings.
A gunman opened fire into a crowd that had already begun parade festivities in Crown Heights about 3:30 a.m., police said, hitting three people and an unmarked police vehicle.
The festivities started with the parade at 11 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m.
And amid the hoopla, one Lubavitcher was seen taking out a shofar and sounding it to a Jewish passersby, fulfilling the custom of of the month of Elul to remind Jewish people to repent before the new year.
Keep up the awesome mivtzoim!!
-Shluchim 74
Ze leumas ze.
I’ve been asking the same question for the past 30 years !
I work on labor day and as I leave and return I see that the main concentration is at Kingston (as opposed to Nostrand or Utica where there are also trains). Kingston is the one major Jewish avenue in Crown Heights. Does the place have some significance for them or do they just require attention from the Jews?
Yosef “the beard” helfand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
you rock man!!!