Ticker tape parade NYC: USA Women's World Cup winners chant 'equal pay' as Andrew Cuomo signs pay equity legislation
The US Women’s national team have returned to home soil following their Women’s World Cup victory.
The winning team were met with a ticket tape parade in New York City, followed by a ceremony outside City Hall.
Goals from Megan Rapinoe and Rose Lavelle saw the 2015 winners defeat the Netherlands to successfully defend their title ending a triumphant run through France.
Team USA road a float along the Canyon of Heroes route, with the team spraying champagne and holding their World Cup trophy aloft.
Thousands lined the streets of Manhattan to cheer them on, with chants of “equal pay” regularly breaking out. The chant even happened when Carlos Cordeiro, president of the US Soccer Federation, was speaking on stage in front of the New York City Hall.
During the parade, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he had signed a new pay equality legislation. Posting to Twitter he said: “The women’s soccer team plays the same game that the men’s soccer players play -- only better. If anything, the men should get paid less.”
The team eventually reached City Hall, where they were gifted symbolic keys to the city by Mayor Bill De Blasio. Various team members gave speeches to the crowd; most notably captain Megan Rapinoe gave a rallying call for people to “do more”, closing by shouting “New York City you’re the mother f***ing best!”
After the float carrying the team parades through the financial district of Manhattan, there will be a ceremony at City Hall Plaza at 10:30am EST (3.30pm UK).
Here's a shot of members of the US team, including golden-girl Megan Rapinoe, (rear left) and Alex Morgan (right foreground) stand on their float in the ticker tape parade.
In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Rapinoe stared directly down the camera lens and said: "Your message is excluding people. You're excluding me, you're excluding people that look like me, you're excluding people of colour, you're excluding Americans that maybe support you."
One of the most notable things about the crowd in Manhattan today are the number of young women and girls lining the streets to celebrate America's victory.
Players Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan have become international celebrities after their World Cup win, and have appeared on the most recent cover of Sports Illustrated.
The parade is continuing it's route down the Canyon of Heroes on a beautifully sunny day in New York. People in offices and apartments are throwing confetti onto the victors as they pass by.
The team has been vocal in their fight for equal pay in football for years. In March this year, 28 members of the USA squad filed a gender discrimination lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation.
"Here at the parade, confetti and ticker tape has been dropped from as high as 20 floors up, while an excited crowd below has cheered on the succession of busses.
"It's not just the World Cup champions, either: players of all ages have been on top of these buses, getting cheers from the crowd along the way."
"The feeling is lively here, even after the World Cup champions have passed by where I've been reporting. Drum beats can be heard, alongside the drone of helicopters above as the ceremony gets started.
"Meanwhile, excited mothers and daughters walking through have been discussing which players they managed to glimpse."
This is only the second time a women's sports team has been celebrated with a ticker tape parade in NYC - the first being the soccer team's World Cup win four years ago.
"The politics of the World Cup have not been forgotten here in Manhattan. Plenty of signs have lined the canyon of hero's pointing out the gender pay gap that this team of champions continues to fight in court.
"The crowd is on board, and have taken up similar chants to those heard just after the World Cup win itself: "Equal Pay! Equal Pay! Equal Pay!"'
