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Overview – Home of the first Labor Day parade on Sept. 5, 1882, Union Square has been a gathering place for New Yorkers to express their outrage about labor practices, war policies and other issues for more than a century. That communal element eventually secured the park landmark status in November 1997. – – Features – This erstwhile tatty wasteland has risen from the ashes to become a vibrant center of urban activity. It was the site of round-the-clock vigils for peace, and filled with flowers and candles, in the days following 9/11. Three separate playgrounds, all…