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Fights shut down city-run youth job fair in Roxbury, critics slam Wu’s planning
The job fair, which hosted more than 200 summer employers, was canceled about halfway through the four-hour event.
A city-run job fair for Boston youth was cancelled Saturday after a fight broke out about halfway through the event, officials said, prompting some of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu‘s opponents to call the event unsafe.
Police responded to a report of a fight inside the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury around 12:55 p.m., Boston police spokesperson Mark Marron said. In a police report obtained by Boston.com, officers requested back-up for a “large disturbance” at the City of Boston Youth Job and Resource Fair, which began at 11 a.m.
There were no arrests, injuries, or property damage reported, according to the report. Officers took note of more than 1,500 youth at the event. The fight stemmed from an incident on social media, a city worker said. Police did not release any additional details about the altercations.
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“A decision was made to close the event down,” the police report said, which Marron said caused large crowds of youths to form inside and outside the Lewis Center. A “large fight” then broke out at the exit to Malcolm X Boulevard, and police requested city-wide Emergency Deployment Teams, the report said.
Officers cleared the area, and youths left “peacefully” by 1:37 p.m., the report said.
The job fair, which was supposed to run until 3 p.m., hosted more than 200 summer employers for workers aged 14 through 24, according to the city. The job fair is part of Wu’s pledge to guarantee a summer job offer for every Boston Public School student who wants one, which could help reduce violence during the summer months.
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The city saw record turnout at the event, Wu’s office said in a statement, after previously announcing that tickets were sold out due to an “overwhelming demand.” On-site registration and entry was offered, first come first served.
“We’re grateful to all the employers and families who participated in the fair and thankful to our community partners and first responders for their presence and immediate response to ensure that everyone was safe,” a city spokesperson said. “BPS support services will be following up with the students and school communities involved.”
Several Wu critics denounced the city’s handling of the event. At-Large City Councilor Erin Murphy said she attended the job fair and said it was “marred by overcrowding and insufficient security measures.”
“Notably, there was an absence of Boston Police details, leaving the venue’s security personnel overwhelmed when altercations erupted,” Murphy wrote on social media. “Ensuring a safe environment should not be an afterthought but a foundational aspect of event planning.”
According to the police report, a community resource officer assigned to the event initially called in the disturbance.
Wu did not attend the job fair, because, according to a public schedule, she was at the Dorchester Elite Eagles Appreciation Banquet for Parents and Grandparents.
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Mayoral candidate Josh Kraft, Wu’s most high-profile challenger in this year’s race, called the fair poorly planned and highlighted the mayor’s choice to not attend.
“Record turnout at this year’s fair means nothing if crowds cannot be properly managed, and kids don’t leave with a summer job,” Kraft said in a statement shared by his campaign.
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