Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Awash in Float Flaps

NEW YORK (AP) — Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is awash in animal-related protests over its floats this year. Controversies involve the unlikely pairing of rocker Joan Jett and Shamu the killer whale.

Activists plan to line the route of next week's parade to protest a SeaWorld float over accusations in a new documentary that the theme parks treat whales badly. And ranchers succeeded in getting Jett pulled off the South Dakota tourism float after they questioned why the vegetarian and animal-rights ally was representing their beef-loving state.

The float flaps threaten to shake Macy's traditional position of staying out of politics and soaring above the fray with massive balloons of Snoopy, Kermit the Frog and others.

Macy's issued a statement saying the mission of the parade is "entertainment."

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