At 6:00 p.m., I was standing on the north side of Eastern Pkwy and Bedford Ave. The last flatbed truck in the parade was turning southbound on Bedford Ave amd couldn't do so.
It was surrounded by many thousands of people. Hundreds began to stampede in every which direction. I saw a man burst through the crowd and into the fenced in area between the service road and the main roadway holding his neck and blood was from his neck to his stomach.
I stood 15 feet away. He laid on the ground thrashing about wildly; EMs's from BedStuy Volunteer Ambulance Corp (BSVAC) attended to him. Then I could see he wasn't moving much at all.
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Soon cops formed a wall with nightsticks at the ready and moved the crowd westbound on Eastern Pkway towards Franklin Ave. I was in that crowd and in fear of my life. Once at Franklin Ave I saw another riot erupt; and watched cops charge into 327 Eastern Pkway later emerging with two men under arrest.
Later, as I traveled northbound on Franklin Ave en route home I saw all manner of bedlam taking place on intersecting cross streets. Stores and street vendors were robbed and assaulted.
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It's time to consider banning some or all vehicles from the parade route. These huge trucks have cause much death & destruction down through the years. They cause huge gaps in the parade contingents as folks fall back to elude exhaust fumes.
There are already some parades that have no vehicles in them. One example is the St Patrick's Day Parade. Everybody walks which is good exercise. The parade vehicles and floats are for those too lazy to walk.
Corrupt parade promoters take payoffs from auto companies looking to sell their vehicles.
When will the madness stop?
