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When the 30-year-old woman from Ha Dong Ward explained she had been sitting in her spot since 5 a.m. of the day to watch the parade, several bystanders confirmed her story.

But the person who stole her spot snapped: “Move and you lose your spot. This is a public pavement, not your property.” The two argued until security officers intervened and the crowd’s protests forced the other person to leave. “If I’d known we had to fight over every brick like this, I’d have stayed home,” Lien said.

After arriving late and ending up behind several rows of spectators during the first rehearsal on the night of Aug. 21, she had wanted to secure a better viewing spot for the following events. When the parade passed by that evening, everyone stood up at once and blocked her view. She was stuck in the middle as people behind pushed forward for a view. Security barriers pinned the front rows while the crowd behind kept jostling forward and caused a stampede.

“People shoved and even trampled each other. Some passed out. Others stood on stools or climbed trees. It was chaotic and terrifying,” Lien said.

When the event ended, another disturbing scene followed: The streets had turned into a sea of trash, with bottles, food boxes, raincoats, and plastic tarps scattered everywhere.

She said: “People tried to pick some of it up, but it was impossible. There was a mountain of trash.”

Tien Hung, 28, of Ngoc Ha Ward said he had a miserable experience during the final rehearsal on Sunday evening. He and his girlfriend planned to watch from near Quan Ngua Sports Palace in Ba Dinh Ward, but crowds at Phan Ke Binh Street blocked access to the area.

The street was packed, and while people in the front were unable to move those behind kept pushing, causing a crush. Scared, children began to cry, and adults had to lift them onto their shoulders so they could breathe.

Pushed along by the crowds, Hung, an environmentalist at heart, ended up stepping on roadside flower beds. “I did not want to, but I was pushed. Seeing the flowers crushed and the soil trampled, I knew they would not survive,” Hung said.

At around 7:30 p.m. Hung heard shouts from ahead while still trapped in the crush. The crowd suddenly rushed forward, forcing him to run to avoid being trampled. Some people broke through the security barriers and spilled onto the road. “I was relieved to escape the jam but I was scared of being shoved and crushed,” he said.

This was not the first time Hung was witnessing such chaos. Three days earlier, during the first rehearsal on the night of Aug. 21, he saw people park their motorbikes on the Kim Ma-Lieu Giai overpass and climb onto the seats to view the parade from above while traffic crawled past.

“Some families even let their children stand on the motorbikes. The crowd below tried to squeeze through gaps to get inside.”

Hung feared someone might bump into a bike and send people tumbling off the bridge to the road below.

On social media, he saw videos of people clambering on top of parked cars or swarming the elevated metro tracks along Le Duan Street to get a better view. “Everyone wants to witness a historic moment, but risking lives and disturbing others is not worth it,” Hung said.

At the Aug. 21 and 24 rehearsals, Read reporters saw crowds jostling, knocking down barriers and climbing up dangerous spots along Nguyen Thai Hoc, Kim Ma, Lieu Giai, and Le Duan streets. Videos of these acts drew millions of views online and sparked debates.

Many called the behavior uncivilized and against the disciplined spirit of a military parade. They also called for strict penalties for disruptive actions as deterrence. Others took a more sympathetic view and said such actions came from patriotism and a wish to see the armed forces up close.

Pham Ngoc Trung, former head of the cultural development department at the Academy of Journalism and Communication in Hanoi, lamented: “Climbing trees and car roofs shows a lack of responsibility, harms the country’s image, and overshadows the efforts of the armed forces and organizers.”

Bui Thi An, director of the Institute of Natural Resources, Environment and Community Development in Hanoi, said patriotism must be accompanied by civilized behavior.

She suggested adding more public trash collection points at major events and said people should clean up after themselves.

“Everyone needs to show consideration for others, especially the elderly and children, strictly follow security instructions and avoid breaking barriers and obstructing officers on duty.”

On Monday the city police reported that many spectators jostled, knocked down barriers and argued with and even resisted officers.

After the event trash and trampled flower beds left behind were testimony to the unruliness of the crowds.

Authorities warned violators and detained those who resisted law enforcement. The traffic police also fined a number of people for entering prohibited areas.

The police said in a statement: “True patriotism starts with small acts like keeping public spaces clean and behaving in a civilized manner. Do not leave trash or footprints on lawns and flower beds.”

Ngoc Ha, 40, of Tu Liem Ward, and her family celebrated the festive atmosphere in their own way: Instead of heading downtown, they took their two children to Pham Van Dong Street to watch the military convoys. “Pham Van Dong Street was quiet and comfortable where we stood. It was the first time my children saw modern military equipment up close.”