Storms disrupt US 250th anniversary events in Washington and other cities
Thunderstorms delayed President Donald Trump’s July 4 speech and forced evacuations or cancellations at celebrations across several US cities.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Severe weather disrupted events marking the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence on Saturday, forcing evacuations, cancellations and schedule changes in several cities, Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters reported. In Washington, DC, a thunderstorm cleared the National Mall and delayed a planned speech by President Donald Trump.
Thousands had gathered in the capital for July 4 events before officials ordered people off the Mall as the storm approached, according to the reports. Freedom 250, the group organising the Washington event, said attendees would be allowed back in and that Trump would speak at 11pm local time, one hour later than planned.
Trump said on social media that he still intended to appear. “I will be there no matter what,” he wrote. “It’s Saturday night, LETS HAVE SOME FUN, even if we are out late tonight.”
New York City moved up its fireworks show because of the threat of storms, Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters reported. The 30-minute display went ahead without rain or lightning, and thousands watched the celebration.
Other cities had less luck with the weather. Celebrations were cancelled in Hartford, Connecticut, and in Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, according to the reports. In Boston, people attending the fireworks and concert were told to seek shelter for a short time before the events resumed.
Philadelphia also ordered an evacuation, while Pittsburgh kept its fireworks display but changed the timing to fit the shifting forecast, the reports said.
In Washington, the storm followed a day of heavy heat and tight security. Crowds had begun arriving at the National Mall hours before the evacuation, with temperatures reaching 39 degrees Celsius, or 102 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters.
The reports said a record-breaking heat wave forced several parades and other events in the Washington area to be cancelled. Glen Solander, a 60-year-old software engineer visiting from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, told the outlets as he waited at a security checkpoint that the conditions were “just part of the deal I signed up for.”
The white nationalist group Patriot Front was also present in Washington, according to Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters. The group said on social media that it had arrived in the capital, and hundreds of people wearing the group’s outfits travelled on Metro trains serving the region. Local police said they had received no reports of violence.
The Washington event was part of Freedom 250, a Trump administration-backed organisation that has played a major role in the anniversary programming, the reports said. Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters reported that the group has largely pushed aside a nonpartisan commission created in 2016 to handle the 250th anniversary.
Freedom 250 fenced off much of the 2.4-kilometre, or 1.5-mile, National Mall for a “Great American State Fair,” according to the reports. The fair included attractions such as a Ferris wheel, along with displays by conservative groups and defence contractors.
Freedom 250 says the fair is meant to highlight the people and innovations that make the United States “the greatest nation on Earth.” Several Democratic-led states declined to send delegations, and many scheduled performers withdrew, citing concerns about partisanship, Al Jazeera, AP and Reuters reported.
Trump opened the anniversary programme with a rally on June 24, according to the reports. Other Freedom 250-branded events include a faith rally with mostly conservative Christian speakers, several sports events, mixed martial arts bouts on the White House grounds for Trump’s 80th birthday on June 14, and an IndyCar race planned for Washington in August.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.