Fete nationale parade organizers apologize for float pushed by black teenagers

MONTREAL — Organizers of the Fete nationale parade are apologizing to people who were upset by the sight of black teenagers pushing a float carrying a white singer.

Footage of the float from Saturday’s parade was posted on social media and prompted some people to link the images to slavery and spoke to a lack of diversity in the parade.

The organizing committee says it never intended to create racist images.

Originally, Maxime Laporte, head of the Societe Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal, which organized the event, rejected the charges of racism as “unfair” and “exaggerated.”