Chicago’s South Side St. Patrick’s Day parade is in jeopardy of not running again this year as organizers have failed to raise necessary funds. Having been cancelled three years ago due to the rowdiness it incited, the parade was due to make a comeback this March 11th.
My FOX Chicago reports that organizers have only secured $100,000 for the parade, still short an additional $100,000 that would be required to “pay for extra security and to enforce a ban on alcohol.”
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NBC Chicago reports that the city of Chicago accepted the application for the parade to make its comeback this year, but that a permit will not be granted until the funds are available.
The Huffington Post reports that Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel is remaining optimistic yet stern about the possibility of the return of the parade. Last month he said that he hoped "people [would] remember a way to celebrate their heritage, celebrate and be proud of it in a way that's also respectful of the community and neighborhood."
However, more recently, Emanuel expressed concerns about the safety of the parade. In a letter to the parade’s committee, Emanuel requested additional details about the current security plans, as well as a public meeting to discuss them.
The parade committee has secured an outside security force for the parade, the same one used to monitor Bears baseball games. The focus of the safety concerns is around alcohol, and both the city and the planning committee are looking for the celebrations to be strictly alcohol-free.
In 2009, nearly 300,000 attended the South Side parade for its twentieth year of marching. There were dozens of arrests, numerous intoxicated persons, assaults on police officers and damage to property, thus putting an end to the parade until now.
5 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.pilib04 | Feb 11, 2012, 08:22 PM EST
These parades remind me of the nonsense that goes on in Belfast (primarily) every year from the middle of June til the end of July. "Parades" that involve drunken louts who can cause all kinds of violence and destruction. Whether in Belfast or Chicago, if the parades cannot guarantee a peaceful event, then there is no reason for the city(s) to allow them. If $200,000 is required for the South Chicago parade than that is it. Now if we can just get such an arrangment in Belfast! peacefu
JBRAFTREE | Feb 10, 2012, 05:45 PM EST
Cilowen, with due respect, what the hell does your post have to do at all with the Chicago South Side Irish Parade??? I believe they will get it going, and hope they exert a bit more care!!!
SeamusMor | Feb 10, 2012, 11:23 AM EST
The outside security force mentioned in the article does not monitor Bears baseball games; they are the ones who monitor Manchester United's Cricket matches.
Murph46 | Feb 10, 2012, 10:25 AM EST
San Antonio ,Hoboken,Dallas ,Chicago watch for a cancellation coming somewhere near you.Irish backlash! Get ur Irish up and fight these bast....!
cillowen | Feb 10, 2012, 10:06 AM EST
the irish contribution to the country that is, the US of A is being cleansed, washed away. History. Fifty percent of Washington's army were Irish-born. The St Patrick's parade began years before this country was wrested from the mother, the mother who so many go gaga about. Bailing her out again will be our next mission on her Malvinas grab. The Monroe Doctrine was never a feature of concern with respect to our motherland. Their is another mother though that lords uber alles.