More than 1 million expected for Warriors parade Thursday

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ByAmy Hollyfield KGO logo
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
City of Oakland preparing for Warriors victory parade Thursday
Planning is underway for the Warriors' second victory parade through Oakland in three years.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Planning is underway for the Warriors' second victory parade through Oakland in three years.

The city's police spoke to ABC7 News about the department's game plan for Thursday.

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"We're going to keep you safe. We want people to be responsible. We want people to be watching out for one another, to be mindful. We're doing the same thing. We've very much mindful and prepared for the worst and expecting all the best," Oakland Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said.

The morning after the big win means it's time to think about parade barricades and begging. "I am going to try and see my boss today and ask for the day off," Warriors fan Andrea Lackey said.

Bosses were feeling generous for the last Warriors parade. An estimated 1 million people came out to celebrate the win.

Those who remember the day know it's worth trying to take the day off. "I went to the parade two years ago and it was one of the most fabulous things I've been to in Oakland," said fan Dan Quigley. "There was such positive energy and it was well organized and it was just thrilling to be there."

The parade starts on Broadway at 11th Street and makes its way to Lake Merritt Blvd. for a rally.

Businesses along the route are expecting huge crowds. "It will be record-breaking, I am sure," said Adam Wurtz, the manager at The Awaken Café on Broadway. He plans to order extra everything to try to feed parade goers.

He doesn't even think he'll notice when the star players pass by. "It's gonna be heads down on the grindstone, it's going to be a line out the door most likely," he said. "It's gonna be a really fun day."

The city plans to start the parade at 10 a.m. Thursday. They think the rally will get underway on the south side of Lake Merritt at about 12:15 p.m. Officials say to pick one and that the crowds will be so big, it will be too difficult to move from one event to the other.

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Warriors' Kevin Durant, right, celebrates with his mother Wanda Durant as he is named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after Game 5 in Oakland, Calif. on June 12, 2017.
AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

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