BOSTON, MA – MARCH 18: Matt Casey, who goes by Casey the Leprechaun, high-fives people along the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade route in South Boston on March 18, 2018. (Photo by Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Several lawmakers have requested a meeting with the MBTA Transit Police ahead of the St. Patrick's Day Parade and Evacuation Day on March 17, in an effort to devise a security plan in response to the presence and actions of a neo-Nazi group during last year's parade.
The neo-Nazi group defaced public property on the MBTA and in the city with hateful propaganda on parade day in 2022, a letter from lawmakers said, adding that, "this along with the excessive transport and consumption of alcohol by underage individuals cannot be tolerated."
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The letter was signed by Congressman Stephen Lynch, Senator Nick Collins, Representative David Biele, City Council President Ed Flynn and City Councilor at-Large Michael Flaherty. It was addressed to MBTA Transit Police Chief Kenneth Green.
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"The Evacuation Day & St. Patrick's Day Parade is annually one of the largest public events in Greater Boston, at times drawing in excess of 1 million people to the streets of South Boston," the letter said. "As a community of less than 35,000 residents, the overwhelming majority of people watching will be visitors. Most of them will get to town via the MBTA."
The local leaders hope a security plan developed in tandem with the MBTA can help to ensure "a safe and inclusive event for all."
