Assaults, affray and public drunkenness as 17 arrested at Boston ‘Southie’ Paddy's Day parade
Despite vows of “zero tolerance” for disorderly behaviour and public drinking, this year’s St Patrick’s Day Parade in South Boston descended into “unruly and chaotic” scenes.In a bid to crack down on previous lawlessness that have marred celebrations in recent years, organisers had introduced the parade as a “family friendly” event with the sale of booze curtailed.With double the half a million that attended the St Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, the event run through “Southie”, one of the oldest in the world, saw liquor stores and bars forced to close early.Organisers had even reached out to area schools and colleges ahead of the event, with public representatives warning that his kind of carry-on from students won’t be acceptable.“Our focus remains addressing public safety and quality-of-life issues that created an unacceptable ‘anything goes’ atmosphere in previous years, including public drinking, violence and assaults that went viral on social media, unsafe rooftop gatherings, overcrowded roof decks, beer cans thrown at parade marchers, and public urination on residents’ property,” they wrote.Read moreFootage emerges of The Temple bar being trashed in Benidorm Paddy’s Day chaosHowever, information provided to the Irish Echo shows that there were more arrests that last year.A total of 17 people have been charged with various crimes, including affray (public fighting while instilling terror), disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, public drinking, and drug possession with intent to distribute.“In addition, the Massachusetts Bay Transit Police arrested seven people during the parade, one for domestic battery and six for unarmed robbery,” the Echo reports.“They also confiscated from youthful revellers dozens of jugs of an alcoholic concoction known as BORGs ( Blackout Rage Gallons) during the first half hour of the parade.”There have been reports of calls from angry residents to police that included complaints about urination on lawns and private property, raucous rooftop parties, and illegal parking, the latter of which resulted in the towing of 127 cars from neighbourhood streets.Boston Celtics basketball star Jaylen Brown, who rode in one of the floats, told reporters after the parade that while the event was very enjoyable and boisterous “it felt like the whole city was drunk.”Speaking after the parade City Councilor Ed Flynn, who has been at the forefront of implementing public safety measures, expressed frustration and disappointment about the recurring disrespect shown to residents, veterans, and families along the parade route.Read more‘Operation Sober Shamrock’ launched in US for St Paddy's Day celebrationsHe is calling for a formal City Council meeting to address the issues that may include a proposal to move the parade out of Southie as the only option.Two years ago residents of South Boston had made numerous complaints about the local student population in particular, which prompted organisers to move the start time to earlier in the day at 11.30am.“It was a black mark on this parade run by the veterans, and it didn’t shine the best that Southie has to offer,” Randy Greeley, commander of the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, said of 2024’s parade.Brian O’Neill, a Boston immigration lawyer with more than 50 years’ experience, said the behaviour could be “outrageous” and was an “insult to the Irish”.“The behaviour can be extremely unruly,” he said. “I know they’re trying to crack down it because it’s not right. The Boston cops are trying to knock it off.” Tom Mackey, president of the Éire Society of Boston, said: “I’m hesitant to go on the record to disparage it.Crime Wrap Tuesday March 24 “And the reason why I am hesitant to go on the record disparaging it is because there are a lot of wonderful people who are involved in organising it and participating in it who I have deep respect for, both as people and with regards to their love of their Irish culture heritage in this community, so I would not disparage it.“But not being able to control your alcohol is also something that wasn’t celebrated in my experience with Irish culture. In fact, that was embarrassing.”It has been also reported how 100 revellers broke through barrier gates, according to a Boston police report on the incident.Read moreUS police raise eyebrows as they tweet they are looking for ‘green’ cocaine on St Patrick's DayAbout two and a half hours after the parade kicked off, the section just over halfway through the route became unruly and chaotic.A “large group” of about 75 to 100 people bypassed the barriers along the parade route near East Broadway and G Street, the Boston police report read.Then, the group began “surrounding and following a float” as it made its way along the route, according to the report.Officers started “physically assisting the parade goers back towards the barriers” and at that moment, a 19-year-old woman in the group shoved back at the police. She was immediately arrested and faced a single charge of assault and battery on a police officer.
