A Halloween parade in Westmoreland County that took place Wednesday night is under fire for a float that appeared to depict Vice President Kamala Harris walking in chains behind a golf cart bearing American flags and Donald Trump campaign signs, according to multiple news outlets.

The participant and that parade, held in Mount Pleasant, has drawn significant attention on social media, garnering negative comments calling the float racist and intolerant. One attendee posted the following pictures on “X,” formerly Twitter.

The golf cart float appears to have what looks like a rifle sitting on the roof with two people standing in the bed of the cart, one dressed as Trump. Walking behind the cart was another person — wearing a red pantsuit — who appeared to be depicting Harris in chains.

Several people wearing dark suits and sunglasses, like Secret Service agents, also surrounded the golf cart, multiple news outlets reported.

The Mount Pleasant Halloween parade is not sponsored by the borough itself but rather by the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, borough mayor Diane Bailey told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4.

“The borough had no part in that parade,” Bailey told WESA. “That has been handled by the fire department and organized by the fire department for as long as I can remember, and I’m old. We were observers, the same as the citizens who came out, and we were as shocked by it as anyone else would have been.”

The fire department issued a statement Thursday on their Facebook, apologizing for the “offensive participants.”

“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. We’re proud to have sponsored this parade for over 70 years and its goal has always been to support our community’s children,” the statement said.

Parade floats are first-come first-serve, a member of the fire department said, adding that they typically are present to provide public safety and traffic control. However, the statement said they will review their planning processes to avoid future incidents.

Milan McFall, the chair of the Westmoreland County Democratic Party, told Action News 4 the float evoked a strong response from many people in the community.

“People are upset about this. And I think, too, we’re five days out from what is the most contentious election in a county that is not always at peace with itself. You know, we’ve seen political violence in this county,” McFall said.

Josh Huff, a resident of Mount Pleasant, told TribLive he initially thought the float was another part of the contentious election cycle, but then saw the person who appeared to portray Harris walking behind the golf cart.

“I couldn’t believe this was allowed to come down the main street of my town,” said Huff, who also described the float as a “shocking display of hate.”

“This is too much. That should definitely not be in a children’s parade,” he added.

Bill Bretz, chair of the Westmoreland County Republican Committee, also condemned the float, according to Action News 4.

“We certainly don’t condone the simulation of political imprisonment or violence in any context, no matter what the party affiliation of those involved,” he said.

Daylong Davis, President of the NAACP’s Pittsburgh Branch issued a statement labeling the float “offensive.”

“We are deeply disturbed by the inclusion of an offensive display in this year’s Mount Pleasant Halloween Parade. The depicted Vice President Kamala Harris, a Black woman, in chains, being led by a vehicle marked with former President Donald Trump’s name. 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.”

“In allowing this display, the organizers have sent a troubling message that demeans and dehumanizes Black and Brown individuals. This kind of imagery reinforces a dangerous narrative, implicitly suggesting that Black individuals belong in chains. Such a display has no place in our society today or any community that values inclusivity, respect, and human dignity.”

Bailey said the borough will have more to say in a statement on Friday. Mount Pleasant, located around 35 miles south of Pittsburgh, had a population of 4,245 in the 2020 Census.