Rabbis marched alongside blacks through the sun-splashed streets of Crown Heights in a Caribbean parade, offering a gesture of good will to residents of the racially torn neigh-bor-hood.
An estimated 1 million people viewed the event.But the uneasy peace was shattered with at least one incident of violence late Monday at the scene of an unrelated homicide, where detectives - and firefighters called to douse a car fire - were pelted with bottles by about 50 to 60 paradegoers, police said.
During and after the parade, seven people were arrested on assault, riot and disorderly conduct charges, and 60 people and 13 police officers were slightly injured, said Sgt. Norris Hollomon, a police spokesman.
Rabbi Shmuel Butman, one of a handful of Jewish community representatives who marched Monday, said, "We are marching to show good will and solidarity. We will prove to our neighbors a willingness to live together in peace and harmony."
Two weeks ago, a Jewish motorist accidentally struck two black children, killing one, setting off violent clashes involving blacks, police and Hasidim.
Some Hasidic leaders last week threatened to seek a court order blocking the 24th annual West Indian American Day parade and carnival, but after meeting with black leaders and parade organizers, they dropped their opposition and agreed for the first time to participate in the event.
Caribbean music filled the air and street vendors offered native food and clothing Monday afternoon. The parade was delayed because Mayor David Dinkins, the grand marshal of the event, extended a meeting with prominent Hasidic and black leaders at a branch of Banco Popular.
The meeting included a short prayer for safe streets led by a Protestant clergyman. Shortly after noon, Dinkins stepped outside the bank, flanked on one side by parade organizer Carlos Lazama and on the other by Butman. They stepped onto Eastern Parkway and led an exuberant parade that included drag queens, a woman dressed as a pineapple, dancers in Caribbean dress and children decked out as butterflies, all prancing to Caribbean rhythms.