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IN PHOTOS: New York Halloween parade proceeds despite fatal truck attack in Manhattan

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New York Halloween parade held despite truck attack
WATCH: New York City's main Halloween parade saw thousands of costumed characters Tuesday night just a few blocks from the scene of a truck attack which saw at least eight people killed. An increased police presence was on scene during the parade – Oct 31, 2017

Thousands of merry-makers, many dressed in elaborate Halloween costumes, paraded through lower Manhattan on Tuesday, undeterred by the attack that unfolded just hours earlier when a driver mowed down dozens of people on a bike path a few blocks away.

A man driving a rented pickup truck mowed down pedestrians and cyclists on a bike path alongside the Hudson River in New York City on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about a dozen in what authorities said was an act of terrorism.

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The 29-year-old suspect was shot in the abdomen by police and arrested after he crashed the truck into a school bus and fled his vehicle, authorities said. A U.S. law enforcement source told Reuters the suspect is an Uzbekistan-born immigrant.

Revelers who joined the 44th annual Village Halloween Parade said they were painfully aware that eight people were killed in what authorities say was an act of terrorism but carried on with the festivities to show fortitude and solidarity with the victims.

A man in costume (R) passes a police officer at a barricade as he enters the New York City Halloween parade, after a shooting incident blocks away in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

“You gotta live your life, you can’t let things like this discourage you,” said 60-year old Michael Spain along the route. “As sobering as they are, you still gotta come out and enjoy stuff like this – or they win.”

Thousands of people in costumes took part in the annual celebration along Greenwich Village’s Sixth Avenue, typically one of the nation’s largest Halloween parades. Hundreds of uniformed police officers maintained a steady presence throughout the mile-long route.

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“Out of an abundance of caution, you will see an increase of NYPD personnel throughout NYC, including the Halloween Parade,” the New York City Police Department said on Twitter.

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Among the participants were a Rio de Janeiro-style group with the drums, witches and ghosts, and a massive Día de los Muertos group with 12-foot-tall skeletons.

“Tonight we’re at a Halloween parade to say, you didn’t win and you didn’t affect us, and we’re out and we’re celebrating and we’re doing what New Yorkers do and we’re living our lives because we’re not going to allow the terrorists to win. Period,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told CNN.

“And that’s why I’m here marching in the parade, not because I have a great costume.” said Cuomo, who was dressed in a suit and tie.

People participate in the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Jorge Arias, the owner of a wine shop and an adjacent bar near King Street, said that the crowd was slightly smaller than in past years but not by much.

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“By 5 o’clock the street was a bit empty and last year it was already full,” Arias, 42, said in Spanish. “But now the crowds are more normal compared to last year. Maybe a little less, but almost the same.”

People participate in the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
People participate in the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
People participate in the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
A participant is dressed in costume for the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
People are dressed in costumes for the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
People participate in the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, NY, U.S., October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Heavily armed police officers guard the New York City Halloween parade after an earlier shooting in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Heavily armed police officers guard the New York City Halloween parade after an earlier shooting in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
People in costume wait at a barricade with police officers for the New York City Halloween parade in New York City, U.S. October 31, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

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