Participants at the Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City on Sunday included blocs of religious Jewish day schools and youth groups, as well as a pro-democracy bloc consisting of nearly a thousand protesters. The pro-democracy demonstrators, including US Jewish officials, Israeli protest movement leaders, and former senior Israeli officials, marched to demand democracy. Tensions arose between the pro-democracy protesters and more traditionally right-wing participants, with mutual accusations being exchanged. Despite the presence of the pro-democracy bloc, the majority of participants and attendees at the parade remained traditionally "pro-Israel." Progressive organizations chose not to participate to avoid legitimizing what they perceived as an overt rightward shift.