A fire station has been trashed for a Halloween parade with an image of Kamala Harris chained to it.
The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department shocked bystanders with the outrageous stunt during the spectacle in the small town in the swing state of Pennsylvania.
A woman in a suit, standing in for the vice president, was chained by her wrists to the back of a golf cart with a Donald Trump banner and led along the route.
The float carried two men dressed as Secret Service agents and a third as a sniper with a rifle in his hand.
The Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department has been trashed for a Halloween parade with an image of Kamala Harris in chains
Even Trump allies, such as local Westmoreland County Republican Committee Chairman Bill Bretz, were outraged by the float.
“We absolutely do not condone the simulation of political imprisonment or violence in any context, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.
Bretz’s Democratic opponent, Michelle Milan McFall, was even more strident in her condemnation.
“It’s vicious. It’s heartbreaking. It’s disturbing. And I think there’s an element of danger in it,” she said.
“Again, we live in a climate where people don’t just think about hate and feel it in their guts and bones.
“They act on it. We need to turn the temperature down.”
The head of the local NAACP, Daylon Davis, called the float racist because of its allusions to slavery that “dehumanize” black and brown people.
“These kinds of images reinforce a dangerous narrative that implicitly suggests that black individuals belong in chains.
“That kind of display has no place in our society today, or in a community that values ​​inclusivity, respect and human dignity.”
Harris has both black and Native American ancestry through each of her parents.
A woman in a suit, representing the vice president, was chained by her wrists to the back of a golf cart carrying a Donald Trump banner. The float carried two men dressed as Secret Service agents and a third as a sniper with a rifle in his hand.
Firefighters shocked bystanders with outrageous stunt during spectacle in small town in swing state Pennsylvania
Mayor Diane Bailey added: “I was shocked, angry and upset. This has no place in this parade or in this city.”
Firefighters apologized profusely for “allowing the attackers to take” the float into the parade.
“We do not share the values ​​these participants represent and we understand how this may have hurt or offended members of our community,” the report said.
“We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that our future events positively celebrate the diversity and spirit of our community.”
Firefighters said they were “reviewing our planning processes” to prevent something like this from happening again.