I had to duck out of the parade before we'd even left our set-up area. On two separate occasions on Saturday, police shot people under dubious circumstances and a local group hijacked the parade Just To Prove A Point. The parade was a huge deal for our group because it was the first time we were in it, and we'd even had the bank's president with us.
The parade was supposed to start at 11:00. By 12:00, we'd moved about half a block from our original starting point. By 12:30, I was having various physical and mental meltdowns that reminded me why I avoid such situations. By 12:50, the bank president and his wife had left. By 12:52, I had, as well. I returned the flag I was carrying to the group's chair, who'd also had a hand in organizing our participating in the parade, and told him I was physically unable to wait any longer. The bank was about six or seven blocks away so I'd left my stuff at my desk before meeting up in the parade route; I went back, changed, and grabbed my stuff. By the time I'd gotten home after a side trip to get something for a late lunch, I'd guessed I probably still would have been in the parade or in the park where the main rally's held.
Again, it was a huge physical and mental challenge for me to even think about going today. Various issues with my general health have held me back from attending for years and to have this happen today was a huge blow, overall. I considered calling the organizers and telling them I wouldn't make it, then skipping out, but other factors about the parade had me decide to go after all. I know everything was beyond everybody's control but it's probably going to be another 5 or 10 years before I attend the parade and rally after, as it had been in the initial circumstances.