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THE ST PATRICK’S Day parade in a New Jersey city has been cancelled this year after the mayor said that the accompanying arrests and violence were “dishonouring the true meaning of the day”.
Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer criticised the “unacceptable” levels of property damage and crime, and said that many residents of the city felt forced to leave the area for the day of the parade. There were a reported 34 arrests stemming from last year’s parade for offences including fighting, public urination and disorderly conduct, according to Bloomberg.
The organising committee of the Hoboken St Patrick’s Day Parade said that the decision was “heartbreaking”.
The mayor had announced that from this year, the parade would be held on a weekday rather than on a Saturday, the New York Times reports. The parade has been held on the first Saturday in March for the past 25 years.
Instead, the organising committee cancelled it, saying that floats, marchers and bands would be unable to march on a weekday.
“The idea of marching in a parade, in the dark, on a weeknight, is as insulting as it is unreasonable,” the committee said in a statement released on Thursday.
In a letter, the mayor was critical of the damage caused during St Patrick’s Day in the city, which has a population of just over 55,000.
“Unfortunately the events surrounding the rest of the day dishonor [sic] the true meaning of the day,” said Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who said she wanted to see the parade continue but only if it was held mid-week.
Zimmer said that she had considered the request from the committee to move the parade back to Saturday but that public safety concerns posed ”too much of a threat to our community”:
Residents and business owners suffer significant property damage and crime spikes to unacceptable levels, parents are afraid to let their children play outside, and many residents simply feel forced to leave town or close their businesses for the day.
Two women reported being sexually assaulted at last year’s event, according to the New York Times. The paper reports that many of the charges from last year’s parade stemmed from people punching police officers. Others involved vandalism such as breaking a window with a baseball bat.
More than 20,000 people attended last year’s parade in Hoboken, which is most famous for being the birthplace of Frank Sinatra.
The Hoboken committee was critical of the mayor’s intervention in the annual celebration and said that it was considering invitations it had received from other communities in New Jersey “to march in their celebrations of Irish heritage”.
Here’s a video showing attendees at the parade in 2009 – or as the YouTube user who uploaded it puts it, “the shame and debauchery that is the annual Hoboken, NJ St. Paddy’s Day celebration’.
(Warning: contains strong language):
(Video via anthonylfisher/Youtube.com)
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I hope other Countries follow their lead.
@mary reape: The smaller the “empire ” gets the better, although I can’t see the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Canada following.
@Charlie: Australia will follow. Unfortunately, there is talk of waiting till Liz Windsor dies. Barbados shows that you can move at your own pace, not be dictated to by the happenstance of a woman in a foreign country. The next federal Labor government will move towards a republic and hopefully a new flag.
@mary reape: Perhaps Charles will also be present to hand back the keys here after the border poll.
Well done to our fellow independent from Britain brothers and sisters
@Mattress Dick: we aren’t all independent yet
Congratulations Barbados, hopefully our whole country will be joining you in the near future
@Gary Egan: Xi Jinping rubbing his hands together in de background
They got there independence in 1966. They’re still a member of the commonwealth. Queen removed as head of state which is only a figure head role a bit like Higgins.
@Karl Pinker: Oh like a democratically elected senior legislator?
@Stephen Deegan: The new president of Barbados wasn’t elected, though.
@Karl Pinker: Higgins is directly elected. The Queen of England is not. Therefore, your comparison is entirely false.
@Earth Traveller: she was elected. They have a different system to ours but she was elected according to their laws ie by two-thirds majority of their parliamentarians
@workhorse of health: Yes, you’re correct. But it is also worth mentioning that 96% of the assembly members who elected her belong to the same political party. To some that would seem more like an appointment than an election. Barbados has a senate, but all its members are appointed by the president. Oh, and the politicians can change the constitution without a referendum. The new system doesn’t seem to be any more democratic than the previous one.
@Earth Traveller: They are following the british system. Unelected upper chamber, appointment by prime minister or by birthright!! And at least they have a written constitution. I’m not saying I agree with their system, I actually think we are lucky in Ireland that the people control the constitution, President and Dáil.
@Earth Traveller: They managed a peaceful transition and if they avoid the nightmare of a civil war, they can only progress. Wishing them a bright future.
@Liam MacSuibhne:, Canada new Zealand , Australia still more independent than Ireland. We’re part of the United States of Europe
The red legs in Barbados are rejoicing,the sun is slowly setting on the oppressive empire
A nation once again. We will join you soon to leave the the tide of colonial firmly at englands shore..
Next step is to leave the dustbin that is the commonwealth.
@Leadóg:
They will probably stay under that Umbrella for a while.
God, what a bunch of sour people you all are. I’m a proud Irishman but I don’t define my identity by hating Britain. If you all truly reflect modern Irish identity then we haven’t progressed at all. I love Ireland, I love Europe, I love the USA and Britain. In their own way they have all contributed to progress in the world. If Barbados is to succeed it would do well to remember it’s heritage. BTW Britain was the first country in the world to abolish slavery.
Long live the Republic of Barbados and those whom walk upon it’s land !
@Gary Mullen: whom?
Why use that?
Check back in in 5-10 years and just watch the way levels of poverty and corruption go through the roof.
Happens all the time.
Congratulations on the transition Barbados on becoming a Republic. However, they are Bajan, not Barbadian. Spent a long holiday there, one of the best places, Banks beer, hot sauce, rum, ear to ear smiles. Sunshine der be strait sometin outya dream
..but you say nothing in the report about Rihanna and how she’s has become a hero?
have your say