Americans celebrate Independence Day amid divisions over politics

NEW YORK, July 5 (APP):Americans celebrated July Fourth, the nation’s Independence Day, on Wednesday with colourful parades, barbeques and dazzling fireworks, amid deep divisions in the country over politics.
The day marks the anniversary of the publication of the declaration of independence from Great Britain in 1776.
According to several polls, majorities of Americans hold a negative view of President Donald Trump and the U.S. Congress which is controlled by Republicans.
Bitter disputes over Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into the Trump campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election dominate national headlines, as also the loud arguments over immigration and the recent outrage at the U.S. policy of separating children from their parents.
The immigration issue was highlighted when a woman in New York protesting U.S. policy climbed the iconic Statue of Liberty’s base and forced the monument’s evacuation on the Fourth of July hours after several other demonstrators had hung a banner on the statue’s pedestal and had been arrested.
About 100 feet above ground, the climber engaged in a four-hour standoff with police before two officers climbed up to the base and went over to her. With the dramatic scene unfolding on live television, she and the officers edged carefully around the rim of the statue’s robes toward a ladder, and she climbed down about 25 feet to the monument’s observation point and was taken into custody.
A federal official says the woman told police she was protesting the separation of immigrant children from parents who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.
The official identified her as Therese Okoumou, an African-American woman without giving further details. .
At night, Hundreds of thousands of people braved tight security along New York City’s East River to watch the annual the Fourth of July fireworks display, which was sponsored by Macy’s, a departmental store..
Macy’s said the 25-minute show featured more than 60,000 shells set off from five barges on the river.
The fireworks show was broadcast live on American television networks.