Puerto Rican Day Parade among growing list of canceled events in New York City
NEW YORK - Large gatherings, including some of the most popular parades that are held annually in the city, will be canceled in New York this summer.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the Salute to Israel Parade, the Puerto Rican Day Parade, and the Gay Pride Parade are all having their permits revoked.
The Puerto Rican Day Parade, which was scheduled for June 14, 2020, is one of the largest parades held annually in the United States and draws millions of spectators along Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
The loss of the parade is a huge financial hit for many businesses that see increased income from the event.
>SPECIAL COVERAGE - 24 Hours: The fight for New York
The NYC Pride March was scheduled for June 28, 2020. It is one of the largest annual pride marches in the world, also attracting millions of spectators. This year was supposed to be the 50th anniversary of the event.
Thousands of people lined the streets along 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan celebrating their Puerto Rican heritage. (Photo by Gabriele Holtermann-Gorden/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The Pride parade began in 1970 as a way to commemorate the Stonewall rebellion the year before, when a police raid at the Stonewall Inn bar sparked a resistance by gay men, bisexuals, lesbians and transgender people and led to the development of more extensive and militant LGBTQ activist groups than the U.S. had seen before.
The Celebrate Israel parade is known as the largest gathering in the world in support of Israel. It has been held annually in New York City since 1964. This year's parade was supposed to be held on June 7, 2020.
---------
Get breaking news alerts in the FOX5NY News app. It's FREE!
---------
De Blasio said, "We are going to be smart about how we come back. We are not going to allow the risk of this disease to reassert itself."
Along with the parades, outdoor concerts and outdoor plays will be canceled through June.
"They will be back. We are going to do it when it's the right time," de Blasio said, admitting he didn't know if it would be possible to reschedule them for later in the year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.