Torrential rain dampened the 98th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the United States, which passed through New York City on Thursday.

But for the second year in a row, the giant balloons and party floats had to overcome another obstacle: demonstrators.

As the procession made its way down West 55th Street, a group of pro-Palestinian protesters entered the parade route and briefly blocked a giant balloon depicting the McDonald’s restaurant mascot, the red-headed clown Ronald McDonald.

They wanted to remind parade-goers of the toll Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza is taking, which has killed at least 44,330 Palestinians, including many women and children.

In the middle of the street, the demonstrators unfurled a banner that read: “Don’t celebrate genocide!” Now arms embargo. Free Palestine!” Several sat cross-legged on the wet asphalt and held up small Palestinian flags.

McDonald’s, the fast-food chain whose balloon blocked it, was the subject of an ongoing boycott after a subsidiary in Israel announced free meals for Israeli military personnel after the start of the war.

However, the chain has distanced itself from the venture, pointing out that the decision was made by a local franchise and not the company’s global leadership.

Police quickly arrested 21 protesters on Thursday and dragged some off the street to allow the parade to pass. The delay was only a few minutes.

There was a similar demonstration last year in which 34 protesters were arrested, many of them wearing white jumpsuits splattered with fake blood.

As was the case then, this year the demonstrators demanded that the USA stop supplying arms to Israel. The US plans to green light a new $680 million arms sale to its Middle East ally, in addition to its existing military aid, according to media reports.

Otherwise, the parade continued smoothly. Beloved cartoon characters like Bluey the dog floated through the air. The Disney character Minnie Mouse made her debut as a balloon. And Broadway stars like Idina Menzel and Billy Porter rode on floats or mingled with the dancers and marching bands that pounded the sidewalk during the parade.

According to organizers, the parade featured 22 large balloons and 34 floats. It will be broadcast live on television throughout the United States. According to publication The Hollywood Reporter, the show reached 28.5 million viewers last year, a record for the event.

This made it one of the most watched non-sporting events of the year.