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‘Out of control’ Hoboken St. Patrick’s parade faces major changes - SEE POLL

Sexual assaults, hospital chaos, drunken revellers leads to a rethink

MOLLY MULDOON,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Thursday, March 10, 2011, 7:42 AM

Updated Thursday, March 10, 2011, 11:13 AM

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Revelers celebrate at the Hoboken St. Patrick's Day parade - once again marred by lawless behavior

IrishCentral.com Poll

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The annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Hoboken, New Jersey will be moved from Saturday to Wednesday next year because of unchecked lawlessness and drunkenness.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer said she was changing the parade from a weekend to a weekday to “reduce the amount of partying that occurs.”

If “the out-of-control atmosphere,” continues, she warned, she will consider cancelling the event altogether.

Town authorities say they have had enough after two women informed police that they had been sexually assaulted over the weekend, according to the “The New York Times.”

Meanwhile, officials at Hoboken’s main hospital, Hoboken University Medical Center, admitted 166 people on Saturday. This was their highest one-day total at the hospital, Bart Meehan, the nurse manager of the emergency room, told the paper.

Almost a quarter of these were for excessive intoxication. Fifteen patients had lacerations, nine presented with head injuries and the hospital recorded nine assault victims.

Meehan added that the hospital had prepared based on past experience and had made provisions for a “disaster.”

The New Jersey city, just across the Hudson from Manhattan, attracts tens of thousands of young revellers to the celebration every year.

The locals open the bars at 9 a.m. resulting in heavy drinking during the day.

The parade was the scene of very drunk and disorderly behavior this past weekend.

New Jersey’s police chief and mayor held a news conference on Tuesday and said there had been 34 arrests, an increase on 25 from 2010.

When local firefighters responded to an emergency call they were greeted by an intoxicated group on a balcony which spat and poured beer at them. Someone also threw a flower plant down according to fire Chief Richard Blohm.

Police reports detailed cases of drunken men on the prowl. A 19-year-old came at a group of three people armed with a knife. Another man kicked a woman after her fiancée had words with him. And a man wearing only green underpants vandalized the banister of a stairwell before urinating.

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8 Comments

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Fightin69th | Mar 11, 2011, 09:02 AM EST

The Hoboken Parade is the March equalivant of Seaside Heights in the Summer. The Parade is an excuse for all people 21-35 to come out and party. NJ Transit is part to blame also, because you are allowed to drink Alcohol on the Trains.......But not on PATH. People would be on the trains with 30packs at 720am. Thats what I see

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Rebelforce | Mar 10, 2011, 10:26 PM EST

Given that Hoboken is well known for its plethora of bars here there and everywhere, I wouldn't be surprised if this "St Patrick's Day parade" was founded, sponsored and generously funded by Budweiser, Coors and Guinness Inc.

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connor32 | Mar 10, 2011, 08:47 PM EST

Half of the people there probably weren't even irish. Half of the ones that are irish don't know anything about irish history or their heritage. It's a shame. The AOH and other Irish organizations in Philly enforce a "no drinking during the parade" rule. I've never seen the crowds get out of hand either, even at the bars that you pass by. The people controlling the parade and the police need to set high standards for the crowds and it will improve. The irish people that do care about their heritage shouldn't be penalized for the young punks.

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borefield | Mar 10, 2011, 08:04 PM EST

Cancel the Parade. It was never meant to be a brawling party. The resturants and bars are making plenty of money while providing the booze to people who just don't know how to control themselves. If the Chamber of Commerce wants to make money for the city just have the Police arrest each and every one of the offenders and collect the stiff fines for the city. It really makes one ashamed to be Irish. I realize not everyone in attendance is Irish still, it's the Irish that get the bad publicity. Shut it down.

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snakehips | Mar 10, 2011, 04:56 PM EST

Let's see if Mayor Zimmer wants to cancel the parade once the Chamber of Commerce in Hoboken add up the day's proceeds.(Not to mentioned what they bury in cash receipts). Maybe the Hoboken Police could do a better job at crowd control. There were crowds of people impeding the progress of the marchers. This never happened in the great New Jersey Parades in the past.

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justhimself | Mar 10, 2011, 04:08 PM EST

It gives the Irish a bad name, I tell them at work, The majority of Irish born work like hell that day, in the pubs and restaurents, the yanks come out in droves that day like they have a licence to get drunk, they get served by Irish who are working like hell, but making a lot of money off the yank pretenters

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rosieoneill | Mar 10, 2011, 03:35 PM EST

Any town that opens the bars at 9 am is asking for trouble.

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tomgallagher | Mar 10, 2011, 01:04 PM EST

And this is how you celebrate your Irishness.? I don't think so.

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