Ticker tape parade NYC: USA Women's World Cup winners chant 'equal pay' as Andrew Cuomo signs pay equity legislation
Catch-up on events as they happened in New York City
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Your support makes all the difference.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!”
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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.
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo has just posted a Tweet saying he has signed a new pay equality legislation at the ticker tape parade.
"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."
From reporter Clark Mindock at the parade.
"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."
From reporter Clark Mindock at the parade.
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!"'
From reporter Clark Mindock at the parade.
As the ticker tape parade is coming to the end of its route, the team will be given ceremonial keys to New York city by Mayor Bill de Blasio .
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