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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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Seriously who gives a damn about the Madoffs? This vile and despicable family are now earning a living by telling their “sob” story, whilst the people’s lives they actually ruined are still struggling. Do not give these people the oxygen of publicity – let them sink!
Low life parasites.
Unbelievable comments above. Do either of you have any empathy? This is suicide we’re talking about ffs.
My empathy lies with the millions of victims Madoff left in his wake and the mental anguish they have suffered. Many of them have committed suicide a a direct result of the recession, but they don’t have a public platform to speak from and make lots of money in the process!
Eoin do you seriously believe anything these people are saying?
Sorry lads call me a bleeding heart, but yeah I do feel sorry for people who attempt suicide, whatever they have done in the past, because wanting to end your own life must be one of the worst possible feelings a person can have.
@Conor: I get your point about feeling more sympathy for the victims of the recession, but things just aren’t that black and white.
Eoin, I see where ur coming from but dont believe the Madoffs. They are all bullshitters, always were!!!! Sadly, they brought this destruction on themselves!!!
No life isn’t black and white Eoin and I certainly do not wish to see Madoff suffer physical or mental harm beyond a long stay in a secure facility at the state’s pleasure. Nonetheless it is wrong in every sense that his anguish and trauma is highlighted (and profited from) when his victims get no redress.
That’s fair enough Conor.
By that I mean I see your point!
Yes it is peculiar that both of them failed in their attempts. At least they lived to tell the tale. What of all the poor unfortunates who had their lives destroyed by this scheme and are no longer around or have a similar platform to convey the devastation this has caused. You have a very valid argument and point of view Conor.
I hope no one close to you ever commits suicide, Conor.
I’m an advocate for learning things the hard way, but not in this regard.
Odd that both of them failed.
Like almost every person in Ireland, my life has been touched by suicide. I have no wish for the Madoffs or anyone to suffer mental anguish, but that’s besides the point. I feel that an injustice is still being served upon Madoff’s victims who do not have a soap-box on which to tell their countless stories of trauma and certainly not to make money out of. It is a sad reflection of our society that notables like the Madoffs, no matter how malevolent they are get more opportunities than most of us can dream of whilst people who have lost jobs, savings and dreams are left to suffer.
have your say