As the dust settles from the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Southie, concern surrounding neighborhood safety continues to grow.
Several videos obtained by NBC10 Boston reveal multiple violent incidents in South Boston on Sunday, when hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the neighborhood for the annual parade.
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The fights, public drinking and property destruction have prompted City Councilor Ed Flynn to float the idea of bringing in the National Guard on parade day, or moving the parade out of South Boston entirely.
Mayor Michelle Wu says it'll be up to parade organizers to decide if they want to apply for a parade permit in a different neighborhood next year.
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"In terms of changing the location, I want to note the city approves parade applications, and we're always there to map out what the public safety plan will be," she said when asked about Flynn's remarks.
Boston police say the incidents are under investigation, but so far, no arrests have been made.
"It's very hard to watch," South Boston resident Matthew Liguori said of the fight videos. "It's upsetting."
"Starting about 10 years ago, the whole idea of being a family day sort of went out the door," said former Boston Police Commissioner and lifetime Southie resident William Evans.
For over a century, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade has livened the streets of South Boston. Organized by the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, the parade served as a way for the Irish Community to commemorate the evacuation of the British Troops in 1776, and celebrate veterans.
"I think it's outgrown its family-friendly existence at least in this community," said Evans.
State Sen. Nick Collins weighed in on Flynn's suggestion, saying he does not support moving the parade downtown but instead, “With a spectator crowd twice the size of the Boston Marathon, it requires an enhanced city-state level security plan going forward.”
NBC10 Boston reached out to the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, who declined to comment on the proposed changes.
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