A Halloween parade in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, sparked significant controversy thanks to an apparent depiction of Vice President Kamala Harris in one of the floats.

As reported by CBS News on Friday (Nov. 1), a vehicle adorned with American flags, campaign signs and what officials called a fake rifle was spotted alongside a group in Secret Service costumes protecting Donald Trump. Another individual, said to have been dressed as Harris, appeared to be chained while walking behind the cart.

The images quickly generated waves of backlash across social media, with many labeling the spectacle as racist. In response, the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, which had a role in managing the parade, issued a public apology on Facebook.

“We do not share in the values represented by those participants, and we understand how it may have hurt or offended members of our community," the message read. "We are committed to learning from this experience and ensuring that our future events celebrate the diversity and spirit of our community in a positive way... We will be reviewing our planning processes to prevent a situation like this from happening again.”

Daylon A. Davis, president of the NAACP’s Pittsburgh branch, expressed how “deeply disturbed” the organization was upon learning of the event. “This appalling portrayal goes beyond the realm of Halloween satire or free expression; it is a harmful symbol that evokes a painful history of violence, oppression, and racism that Black and Brown communities have long endured here in America,” he wrote in an official statement. Davis called for event organizers to establish clearer guidelines and urged all involved to make a public commitment to anti-racist values.

Mount Pleasant Mayor Diane Bailey also expressed outrage, describing her reaction as “appalled, angered, [and] upset.” She further noted that the fire department took a casual approach with no formal application or vetting process.