Trump’s Fourth of July speech delayed as emergency evacuation order issued | US | News

Police were whistling and yelling at people to “move, move, move!” He started walking in the area.

But some apparently refused to leave; authorities broadcast messages on large screens telling people they needed to “evacuate immediately” and urging them to listen to the Secret Service.

The crowd booed in response to others chanting “USA, USA, USA”.

“We are temporarily pausing the event. For your safety, please proceed to the nearest exit immediately. Take shelter in your vehicle or a nearby permanent building,” an announcer told attendees.

“Freedom 250 will share updates on programming and doors reopening,” Freedom 250 spokeswoman Danielle Alvarez said in a statement encouraging participants to seek shelter at museums and federal buildings near the National Mall.

Washington’s subway system also noted that many subway stations are suitable for housing.

The US Secret Service announced that it had temporarily closed checkpoints to screen attendees ahead of Trump’s speech, which is scheduled to begin around 22:00 local time.

Military flights, which have recently become a staple of July 4 celebrations in Washington, were also canceled for the rest of the day.

Crowds were forming in the area a few hours before Trump’s speech.

Severe weather forced the cancellation of celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut, as well as Harrisburg and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Spectators at fireworks and concerts in Boston were told to seek shelter for a short time before events resumed.

Fireworks plans were still moving forward in other cities, such as New York, where tall ships passed by the Statue of Liberty earlier in the day, reminiscent of the fanfare around America’s 1976 bicentennial.