Four South Boston elected officials want statewide college and high-school associations to tell their students not to go all Clockwork Orange during this year's St. Patrick's parade.
In a letter to the heads of the Associated Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, the officials - City Councilor Ed Flynn, US Rep. Stephen Lynch, state Sen. Nick Collins and state Rep. David Biele - write:
With Parade Day fast approaching, we want to remind visitors to South Boston that there will be zero tolerance for the out-of-control behavior that the people of South Boston endured last year. So we are seeking your assistance in getting this message to the Boston area college and school district leaders of your association.
The four continue that they and local police have spent considerable time meeting on ways to avoid last year's calamities, with steps that include an earlier, 11:30 a.m. start time, so that the parade can once again become "a family friendly festivity" that honors veterans, first responders and the neighborhood's "proud immigrant heritage:"
Our focus has remained on addressing the public safety and quality of life issues that created the unacceptable "anything goes" atmosphere last year, including public drinking, disturbing incidents of violence and assaults that went viral on social media, people on rooftops without a roof deck, overcrowding on roof decks, beer cans thrown at parade marchers, and public urination on resident's property.
The letter says police will be on high alert to stop under-agers from getting liquored up at local stores and bars and that fire inspectors will be keeping an eye on roofs, but does not indicate whether the planning included any deeper introspection, since out-of-town high-school students don't tend to live in South Boston apartments with roof decks.
Aand the worst of the disturbing incidents of violence and assaults consisted of a beatdown allegedly applied by local residents on Tudor Street: Three South Boston men - none students - were charged with beating three other men so badly one was spitting out "large clumps of blood" when police found them. Two of the alleged attackers had been convicted of a similar beating on St. Patrick's Day in South Boston in 2011.
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Comments
Outsiders
By Anonymous
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 12:04pm
You are not welcome in SoBo.
Huh
By Originally From...
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 6:19pm
Where is SoBo? They are talking about Southie (we already have a nickname).
And the award for ...
By SwirlyGrrl
Sun, 03/09/2025 - 10:28am
"Most internally inconsistent anon comment" goes to "Anonymous 3/8/25 12:04 pm".
High school outreach, maybe
By SwirlyGrrl
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 12:38pm
The word should be going out to parents of high school age wannabe mooks - high schools should not be responsible for/have anything to say about what happens outside of official school activities.
Yes, it's the parents'
By Anonymous
Tue, 03/11/2025 - 12:59pm
Yes, it's the parents' responsibility. But how would notifying them work logistically? There's no way for the parade organizers to contact every parent of a teen in eastern Massachusetts. But there is a way to contact every high school to get the word out.
Let the Bostonians do what
By Miranda Kramer
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 2:31pm
Let the Bostonians do what they want. It’s St Patty’s Day, it’s meant for going crazy. But if you’re not from Boston you’re not justified.
Not “Patty”….
By SBer
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 8:50pm
It is “St. Patrick’s Day” or “St. Paddy’s Day” - not ‘Patty’….
South Boston
By Nick Yudin
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 2:55pm
If the BPD were allowed to police offenders, the parade can be controlled. Active participation by the BPD would be welcomed. Enforce the public drinking laws.
public drinking laws are dumb
By deselby
Mon, 03/10/2025 - 12:11am
Many states and other countries don't have public drinking laws. Ever been on Bourbon Street, Beals Street, towns in Portugal during a fiesta, the old Love Parade in Berlin? In Texas, God bless them, you can cruise around town in your car sipping a tallboy. Freedom!
The problem is that too many Americans are savages.
That includes some cops. Hassling peaceful people brown-bagging it or drinking from a plastic cup will just escalate violence. Why bother someone drinking in front of their house on Broadway?
Just bust the assholes starting trouble. It ain't broke.
Codes of Conduct
By cliff
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 3:13pm
Boston Public High Schools and others have Code of Conduct policies that will discipline students who cause disruptions on the MBTA. The key to making the parade safe is to station Transit Police at the fare gates of suburban stations to stop teenage troublemakers before they ride the T and commuter rail.
You want an age restriction on the MBTA?
By Ron Newman
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 6:55pm
I can't see how that is justifiable at all.
If the real issue is alcohol, then enforce the underage drinking and open container laws.
Yeah only people who live in South Boston
By Anon
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 7:42pm
Yeah only people who live in South Boston should be able to break the law!
The idea that it’s only people who don’t live in South Boston who are out of control and drunk on St Patrick’s day there is laughable.
As noted in the post
By Irma la Douce
Sun, 03/09/2025 - 3:58am
Opsec
By Ari O
Sat, 03/08/2025 - 7:50pm
Having a getaway car with Vermont plates is a choice. If I were BPD I’d call EZPass and get a list of accords with Vermont plates which have hit a toll transponder in NH or on the Pike. Possible they took route 2, but you’ll probably get a pretty short list. (Now if it was a Subaru …)
interlopers and Outsiders
By SamWack
Sun, 03/09/2025 - 8:28am
Saint Patrick was a Brit. His was the most successful of the many British Invasions of Ireland. He should be the Patron Saint of Outsiders Coming In And Changing Everything.
I understand the sentiment
By Anonymous
Sun, 03/09/2025 - 1:34pm
I understand the sentiment here but this is not the only event that has outsiders causing chaos. The number of people from schools surrounding Boston who go in is not a huge percentage. So how does that work? Do they expect schools in Salem to have school meetings with students over this one event? Will other events want the same messaging? How far does this go? CT, NH, NY?
Start by closing the Liquor stores on parade day
By Anonymous
Sun, 03/09/2025 - 4:27pm
There is typically a constant stream of yahoos carrying 12 packs and hell bent on getting wasted. For actual South Boston residents, it is a day for family gathering and reunion with friends and relatives. Alcohol has always flowed, but acting like a disrespectful fool has never been sanctioned. There are many newcomers who have embraced everything great about the neighborhood, and they are equally frustrated by the invasion, the puking and the pissing in peoples' yards. Enforce the public drinking law. Stage vans along the route for police to deposit confiscated alcohol. This disgraceful situation is never tolerated in any other neighborhood. Mayor Wu, are you listening?
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