US marks 250th Independence Day

Americans marked the nation's 250th Independence Day in the capital on Saturday amid extreme heat and a charged political atmosphere, as United States President Donald Trump addressed a crowd on the National Mall before a massive firework display was held, following hours of delay due to an incoming storm. Yet for many, the milestone also sparked reflections on national pride and political divisiveness.

The event to commemorate the birth of America began after storms prompted a roughly two-hour evacuation of the National Mall just after 7 pm Washington time.

Trump spoke to a large crowd of people inside a cordoned-off area with heavy security, overlooked by the Washington Monument. Thousands more people lined the streets nearby, unable to get in.

He spoke of iconic and challenging times in US history and, to illustrate his point, used flags such as one from Abraham Lincoln's casket and another that was on the plane with the Wright Brothers.

Throughout the activities marking the milestone in the nation's story, revelers all across the East Coast battled extreme, brutally hot temperatures of 43 C to 46 C, the National Weather Service said.

A woman named Gail, 75, from Virginia, visited the White House during the Fourth of July weekend with her husband, her son and daughter-in-law. She said that she had found the extreme heat hard to manage, adding that it was even tougher on her husband.

Earlier, on Saturday morning, the city's National Independence Day Parade, hosted by the National Park Service, was canceled due to an extreme heat warning from the weather service.

Also in the area, dozens of members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front wearing face masks and carrying Confederate battle flags held a march. No arrests were reported, according to the Metropolitan Police Department, The Associated Press reported on Saturday.

Local subway stations were packed, and organizers of the celebrations on the National Mall in Washington, DC added water and cooling stations along with medical support at the fair to keep revelers cool.

Amid the party-like atmosphere, throngs of people in Washington were met with a heavy security presence estimated to include thousands of law enforcement officers, agents and 5,000 National Guard troops along with military-style vehicles, the AP reported.

The White House could barely be seen by visitors, as it was barricaded behind high black metal gates.

Elsewhere, at least eight people, including four children, were shot and injured late on the US Independence Day holiday ‌in New York City's Coney Island neighborhood, ABC News said on Sunday, citing the New York City ‌Police Department.

Among the injured were two men, two women, and four children, ages 14, 12, 7 and 6. All were taken to hospitals. Seven victims were listed in stable condition, while a 21-year-old woman was in critical condition.

Authorities said a firearm was recovered at the scene, but no arrests had been made so far.

Amid the nation's 250th birthday, Americans also reflected on divisiveness in politics as well as national pride.

"Well, our leaders need to get their act together and be able to just talk," said Randy Tennant, 78, from Syracuse, New York. "They don't talk now. They just argue. They put each other down; 25, 30 years ago, they used to talk together."

Only four in 10 American adults surveyed said they felt "proud" about the country's 250th anniversary, according to an April poll by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

According to the latest Gallup poll, only 46 percent of Americans believe everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream.

"I would say America, 250 years old, is in a midlife crisis, for sure," Ryan Hilligoss, a New York resident, told China Daily. "With all the oligarchy that's going on, with the economics, the American Dream is very limited."

Other visitors expressed mixed feelings about the milestone, saying that the anniversary offered an opportunity to both celebrate the country's achievements and reflect on its economic and political challenges.

"I think the 250th year represents growth, different perspectives, divisiveness, all the above," said Shuba Maniram, another New York resident.

Peter Christian, who lives in California, said two major problems confronting the country are widening wealth disparities and a growing unwillingness to compromise. "Wealth disparity is causing a serious problem," he said.

Chelsea Ge in San Francisco and Shi Guang in New York contributed to this story.