Parade goers reflected as crew work to clean up Constitution Ave.

Some streets near the National Mall remained closed Sunday as crews worked to return Constitution Avenue to normal.

WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — Sunday crews worked to reopen streets in DC along the National Mall after Saturday night’s parade commemorating 250 years of the United States Army. During that parade, tanks and troops took to DC streets.

On Sunday, Constitution Avenue was mostly open to pedestrians and cyclists as crews worked to get things back to normal.

“It was like the first time I’d ever seen tanks,” said Marianne McKay, who came to DC from Norfolk for the parade. “It was a way of just showing their appreciation for the military. It wasn’t a political thing. It was really about cheering them on and celebrating them.”

“It felt surreal. It felt amazing to be there rather than just watching it on a TV screen,” said Matt, who came from New York. “Just seeing the tanks roll by, the different cars.”

Dave Anderson happened to be on vacation from Scotland and was able to catch some of the festivities.

“I mean the atmosphere was good. Lots of families,” said Anderson. “We were a bit apprehensive about how it might turn out, but I think in any country you want to honor your military and their contribution to your country’s peace and development.”

A few people we spoke to said the crowd and security weren’t worth the wait. Those who made it to the railing had to work for it.

“The crowd was, it was interesting to fight through. It was a lot of people,” said Matt. “At one point, people weren’t even able to leave the area as everyone was just going down into the place. They had to call in security and measure things out.”

Spectators WUSA9 spoke to say it was a celebration worth seeing.

“I think I was really pleasantly surprised with how pleasant people were. I mean, I really was. That’s encouraging to see in our divisive country,” said McKay.

Source link