Re-enactors in period attire listen as a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company reads the United States Declaration of Independence from the balcony of the Old State House, part of Fourth of July Independence Day celebrations, in Boston, Massachusetts July 4, 2013. People across the United States gathered on Thursday for parades, picnics and fireworks at Independence Day celebrations, held under unprecedented security following the Boston Marathon bombings. Spectators waving U.S. flags and wearing red, white and blue headed for public gatherings in Boston, New York, Washington, Atlanta and other cities under the close watch of police armed with hand-held chemical detectors, radiation scanners and camera surveillance, precautions sparked by the deadly April 15 bombings. REUTERS/Brian Snyder ( USA-JULYFOURTH/ )