Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn is calling for moving the city’s annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade out of South Boston if “major changes” aren’t made to public behavior during the annual event, which drew “almost a million” spectators to the neighborhood on Sunday.
He demanded implementing a “zero tolerance” policy for public drinking, violence, and destruction of property during the parade in a post on Facebook on Monday evening, arguing, “If we are not able to meet basic standards of decency and respect [for] the South Boston neighborhood,” the parade should be relocated indefinitely.
Flynn told the Globe on Tuesday that he heard from South Boston residents, including seniors, young families, and veterans, who expressed concerns about excessive public drinking, public urination, fistfights, and littering during the event and said the ”anything goes” attitude must end.
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“This has been escalating over a number of years, and residents have made it clear that this behavior can’t continue, and I agree with them,” Flynn said. “When people come into South Boston, I expect that they treat the residents in the neighborhood with respect; that level of respect is not there from many people coming into the community.”
Flynn’s concerns were first reported by WBUR.
Flynn told the Globe he will be meeting with elected officials from South Boston and the parade committee to discuss possible remedies or policies to address the issue but declined to elaborate on what solutions they might be considering.
Boston police arrested nearly a dozen people during the festivities on Sunday, for a range of charges including disorderly conduct and assault and battery. Several complaints were also submitted for behavior by parade attendees, including ripping a street sign out of the ground.
The parade has been held in South Boston, which has a significant Irish American community, since 1901. It travels along a 3.5-mile route through the neighborhood.
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Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold.