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After drunken fights, several arrests, Southie reckons with future of St. Patrick’s Day parade

Sunday’s parade prompted condemnation from a city councilor and a multitude of reports from residents, who called the event “out of control” and “unacceptable."

Onlookers cheered as the parade passed by during the annual St. Patrick’s day parade. Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

By Emily Spatz

2 minutes to read

A city councilor is condemning the public’s behavior and calling for “major changes” after South Boston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade led to multiple arrests and left residents with a barrage of complaints. 

“We must make major changes and implement a zero tolerance for public drinking, any form of violence, fighting and destruction of property and other quality of life issues,” said Ed Flynn, councilor for District 2, in a post to his social media accounts Monday night. 

Sunday’s parade, which organizers say attracted a record number of people, led to 10 arrests for charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault and battery. Six of those people were charged with assault and battery on a police officer, the Boston Herald reported.

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A drunk man was also arrested with a gun among the crowd in Andrew Square, MBTA transit police said.  

Numerous residents took to Boston 311 in the days following the parade to submit complaints and ask for the city to clean up. Several people snapped pictures of what one person called a “disgusting mess” left in a Walgreens parking lot, while others reported litter and broken glass on the street, broken street signs, and puke outside their front door.

“Litter cleanup the entire neighborhood of South Boston. There is still trash everywhere the day after the parade,” one complainant said. 

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“This parade is out of control. Our house is up for sale and multiple people hit the sign down and terrorized our neighborhood. This is unacceptable. We deserve to have a safe place to live,” another person wrote. 

In his social media posts, Flynn said some people who come to see the parade lack respect for South Boston residents. 

“If we are not able to meet basic standards of decency and respect the South Boston neighborhood, the parade should be moved out of South Boston indefinitely,” the counselor wrote. 

Flynn told WBUR he was “disappointed” in many attendees and thought the behavior at this year’s parade was worse than in previous years. He also said he would push for the parade to be moved to downtown Boston if the problems continued.

Last year, Boston police only arrested four people at the parade, WCVB reported.

The parade has been held in South Boston since 1901, according to the Allied War Veterans Council, the organizers of the parade. The celebration is meant to honor both St. Patrick’s Day and Evacuation Day.

“With almost a million visitors to South Boston for the parade, we can’t sustain an ‘anything goes’ attitude in the neighborhood,” Flynn wrote. 

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