Read more: From March 2011 - ‘Out of control’ Hoboken St. Patrick’s parade faces major changes
Hoboken, New Jersey’s, St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee has cancelled the 2012 event after the city decided the event should be held on a Wednesday evening, instead of the first Saturday of March.
A letter published on their website explained why they made the “heartbreaking” decision to cancel the event which has been running for 26 years.
The letter read, “The city of Hoboken’s inability to protect our spectators, bands and participants led us to this heartbreaking decision.”
They continue, “The idea of marching in a parade, in the dark, on a week night, is as insulting as it is unreasonable."
The committee said they regretted cancelling the parade which “since 1986, the first Saturday in March has been a glorious day to honor Saint Patrick and our Irish heritage.”
Hoboken City’s move to switch the parade to a Wednesday came after last year’s rowdy parade. The police made 34 arrests and issued 296 citation violations, according to NBC New York, for urinating in public and carrying open containers of alcohol.
Mayor of Hoboken, Dawn Zimmer, said the decision to move the parade’s date was “to reduce the amount of partying that occurs."
In a letter sent to the committee last month, Zimmer said that although the parade is a “great celebration of Irish heritage” it had become marred by criminal activity and unrest.
She said, “Residents and business owners suffer significant property damage and crime spikes to unacceptable levels, parents are afraid to let their children play outside and many residents simply feel forced to leave town or close their businesses for the day…I believe that the public safety concerns pose too much of a threat to our community, and I stand by my decision.”
In a statement released by the major she said, “While the parade is a beautiful event, the impact of everything that happens after the parade in our community, sexual assault, property damage, children can’t walk around on their own, it’s an unsafe environment. That’s what this decision is all about, making sure our community is safe."
The Hoboken St. Patrick’s Day Parade committee said on their site that they will consider invitations to march in other St. Patrick celebrations.
They added, “Like our ancestors before us, some of whom are credited with building Hoboken, we are not “St. Patrick’s Day Irish.” We are committed, proud, and blessed with long memories.
As is our tradition, we cordially invite everyone to worship with us at our Irish Mass honoring Saint Patrick on Saturday, February 25th at 5:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church.”
Here are the high-lights from last year's St. Patrick's Day parade from Hoboken Online:
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.Ken from Dublin | Mar 16, 2012, 08:18 PM EDT
Another Jew is instrumental in cancelling a much loved traditional Christian celebration, what next? When will Christian people in America wake up to the constant insidious erosion and censorship by these over represented anti-Christians of their Christian symbols and celebrations, Happy Christmas has been replace by Happy Holidays and the cross has been banned from being displayed in the White House grounds at Christmas, instead it has been replaced by the biggest Jewish menorah in the world.
OrlandoHurling | Jan 26, 2012, 09:29 AM EST
An area where we hold an event has lost a lot of businesses over the last year, diminishing the tax base. Therefore the doors of these businesses are closed to event attendees. As a result, that city leans on the event organizers for cash to provide security, and in our case, repair of turf. Could parade entry fees be levied to defray city cop expenses for the day?
Fightin69th | Jan 23, 2012, 11:24 AM EST
The parade is not the problem.....The parade is used as an excuse for the young people to use as a reason to Party. All NJ transit trains are filled with young people all dressed in green, pre-gaming on the train. They are coming from all corners of NJ, NE Corridor, Jersey Shore line, Raritan Valley Line, every train is packed. The should show video of the Hoboken PATH Station, and show the endless flow of young people coming into Hoboken from 8am-the evening.
merefalow | Jan 17, 2012, 06:28 PM EST
I HATE NASTY ABUSIVE DRUNKEN YOBS,its what passes for normal behavior these days on friday sat nights,its bad whatever nationality practices it,it is our culture god help us,i have seen it all over the world and it is disgusting but not confined to the irish,i have seen all the European nations do it,french ,german,dutch,brits,it can only be limited by banning the sale of alcohol on public holidays,i dont know if it was anti irish,or just anti drunken yob.
IrelandNorth | Jan 16, 2012, 06:56 AM EST
An amicable compromise would be to licence bars to sell only alcohol free beers from opening time to well after the parade. Watched the video clip, and was positively affected by the genuine Irish-Americans proud of there heritage. Makes the Dublin parade seem unimaginative. Fair play to service personnel also - and Colonial Musketeers. It's obvious to me as a native Irishman that true Irishness resides in American, and no longer in Ireland.
conorsmom | Jan 15, 2012, 03:11 PM EST
sirpeter- you have proven that age and drink are not needed to be a fool time and time again. If you don't want to insight nasty comments from people like me, the fool I am for reading anything you have to say, then keep you narrow minded, bigoted, comments to yourself. As for reading your post again, I would rather not since it does nothing but remind me of you and the time I wasted.
Realist | Jan 15, 2012, 04:56 AM EST
sirpeter: Lol....you're a comedian, right? "Zimmer from the name Zimmermann is a German name.Damned Germans have it in for the Irish don't they??!!It's in their blood to want to dictate to everybody.So she wants to reduce the amount of partying!!That's just because it's not the Nazi party." Dear oh dear, yet another Mickey Mouse, lazy, bigoted, comment? Laughable but sad. I'll ask you again, when are you going to grow up?
sirpeter | Jan 15, 2012, 12:37 AM EST
@conorsmom.You see Mom I didn't say Dawn Zimmer wasn't jewish.I just said it was a German name.Read my post again Mom.Been annoyed is all very well but only if you can read and understand what I said first.I can take drunken 20 something year olds making a fool out of themselves.But Mom you don't have to be drunk to be a fool.You have proved that.By the way Mom.The Irish people are forced to pay private German bondholder debt so a little dig at the Germans is not to harsh at the moment.Look after Conor.
NYNighthawk | Jan 14, 2012, 11:56 PM EST
I would like to see all the St. Pat's parades cancelled until the leaders in the Irish communtities get their acts together and demand professionalism and decorum from everyone. For too long drunks and rowdy behavior is the norm at these parades. I have seen the salute to Israel Parade , Polish Pride Parades, Shiks/Hindu Parades, etc. and there is no alcohol or should I say "idiot juice" present on any observers. Then again the Irish community really has no more clout in government arenas because there are no leaders to condemn the culture of "idiot juice" or alcohol consumption.
Searlit | Jan 14, 2012, 04:24 PM EST
The early drinking at the bars has gotten excessive. It's college age people being out of control. It happens at spring break, too.
borefield | Jan 14, 2012, 04:22 PM EST
The Mayor of Hoboken is right on to cancel the parade. I grew up in Ireland, St. Patrick's Day ws a Holy Day of Obligation, it always fell during Lent so you got a pass on observing your Lenten fasting and you could go to a dance. When did it become an excuse for a drunken celebration, not just for those of Irish Heritage but for anyone that felt inclined to participate. Who gets the bad image in the press, you guessed it, The Irish. . To celebrate this renowned SaInt should not be through excessive drinking, green beer and ugly hats, it in no way represents what this day means. Promoters, bar owners and other people involved in any/all parades should be held accountable for people to behave in a respectable and civil manner. close the bars. A good time can be had without booze. I applaud the Mayor.
conorsmom | Jan 14, 2012, 11:57 AM EST
For all of the women who feel the need to comment on how terrible it is for Hoboken to not celebrate out great patron Saint. Have ANY OF YOU ACTUALLY READ the article above. A woman was sexually assaulted... While responding to a fire set my drunken idiots, firemen were urinated on from drunken fools in the apartments above. Can ANY OF YOU justify why the city of Hoboken should allow the parade at all. This parade is an scare on the Irish community. The parade committee hide behind a religious holiday? Please, a small group go to church while the rest act like fools getting drunk and causing trouble.
conorsmom | Jan 14, 2012, 11:50 AM EST
Oh, and sirpeter, you half wit- Dawn Zimmer is Jewish. Somehow I think she has a much different view of the Nazi party than someone like you!
conorsmom | Jan 14, 2012, 11:46 AM EST
Ok sirpeter, once again, you cause me to loose my temper! I take it you live somewhere outside the Hoboken, NJ area. I will let you in on what goes on the day of the parade. Bar open 8AM in the morning and local college and 20 something year olds start drinking from early in the morning. These are not the people who participate, or for that matter CARE about what St. Patrick means to Irish Americans. They are looking for a reason to get stinking drunk and act like fools. If the parade committee is truly concerned they should be working with the city and bar owners to come up with a plan for the future. I applaud the city for taking a stand FOR ALL OF IT CITIZENS.. Grow up sirpeter, for you to say the mayor is of a German back round and somehow would be in favor of the Nazi party is not only insulting but ignorant.
PhlutiePhan | Jan 14, 2012, 11:18 AM EST
I watched the entire 15 minute video clip of the parade. Everyone appeared to be having a good time in a family atmosphere. Problems may come from the periphery. However, could there be another agenda at work here? Billie Daley was just "thrown under the bus" by the Obamas. Michelle stated that she resented the influence of Irish Catholic politicians in Chicago. St. Patrick is a great influence in culture these many years after his death. In some circles, he is viewed as a symbol of Catholic patriarchal suppression. I would say that this action by Mayor Dawn Zimmer has to be viewed in that context.
eiriamach | Jan 14, 2012, 09:37 AM EST
A quick trip through the photo album at Our Lady of Grace Church web site reveals a hard-drinking parish. There are bottles of liquor and beer cans everywhere at their events, even the Autumn outing. And with children and under-age youth present! It was probably a wise move to keep the St. Patrick celebration off the city streets, away from traffic and businesses. It would have been nice, however, if she had given them a city park venue for the day. The pipe bands and fife-and-drum bands in the video are top notch.
jamieLM | Jan 13, 2012, 06:31 PM EST
@ACurtin314 - I agree with you. You're also so right about this not being a religious holiday parade in most places in the U.S. For too many people, with and without any Irish ancestry, it's just an excuse to get drunk and disorderly. Those jerks couldn't care less about St. Patrick or Ireland.
BillyFitz | Jan 13, 2012, 04:14 PM EST
I lived in Hoboken for 7 years. I can safely say they will not be able to stop the 1st Saturday of March in Hoboken. The horse is out of the barn on this one. Unfortunately, the Parade committee, all that march in the Parade and the wonderful Irish Catholic Parish, Our Lady of Grace get the short end of the stick.
sirpeter | Jan 13, 2012, 04:08 PM EST
Zimmer from the name Zimmermann is a German name.Damned Germans have it in for the Irish don't they??!!It's in their blood to want to dictate to everybody.So she wants to reduce the amount of partying!!That's just because it's not the Nazi party.
ACurtin314 | Jan 13, 2012, 04:08 PM EST
Ok-Dawn Zimmer being Jewish or not has absolutely nothing to do with this being cancelled-so step back from that comment. As a native NJ girl and a proud Irish American-all I can say is that what happened in Hoboken last year was sad. It's a tiny town-1 square mile-so yes, this parade does completely cripple the town. And then add in all of the disorderly conduct-some which was quite disgusting-the town made the best decision they thought that they could. Do I agree, heck no. But throwing out anti-Semitic comments like that about Mayor Zimmer is pretty low. And PS-most people here in the states don't consider it a religious holiday-it's a day to hit the pubs.
dipsydolly | Jan 13, 2012, 03:19 PM EST
polititians can kiss the irish vote goodbye then
brendabeans | Jan 13, 2012, 03:15 PM EST
This is horrible, Hoboken will not honor Ireland's patron saint? History repeats itself pure discrimination againt the Irish.....Hey Ms Zimmer does your office have a sign that state "Irish need not apply"?
brendabeans | Jan 13, 2012, 02:57 PM EST
I doubt Dawn Zimmer is Irish? As she should know,it's (Unfortunate perhaps) the Irish way.to drown the Shamrock on St.Patrick's day..And moving it to a Wednesday evening?? We could still Party!!? So it was for other reasons I guess this has Happened. I am sure it's the small few,like at all Events!! that caused the Problems..well maybe more than a few with Last Years Parade?
Ms.Gail | Jan 13, 2012, 02:49 PM EST
Isn't this a sorry state of affairs. The Irish Americans in Hoboken can't have their parade because other residents behave illegally following it. I can certainly see both sides of this. Maybe it should become an indoor event in conjunction with something like an Irish show or feis. I get disgusted by the St. Patrick's Day maurders who think the purpose of the day is to drink to excess and behave bizarrly and inappropriately. Up the Irish down with the jerks.