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Kate Gardiner/Chicagoist
In the end, it was the numbers that killed the South Side Irish Parade.Nearly a dozen officers assaulted.
Fifty-four people arrested.
More than 300,000 people crammed along a 24-block stretch.
A dozen police officers assaulted? Cripes. Committee spokesman Mary Beth Sheehan said, "When people feel entitled to attack a police officer, then it has gone too far." Committee member Kevin Norris described the emotional, narrow vote the committee took on whether or not to end the parade after reading through police reports from this year's event: "It was rough. Nobody wanted to see it go away. Then again, nobody wanted to see something horrible happen because we didn't know when to end it."
The Trib reports that many of the residents in Beverly and Morgan Park, where the parade takes place, were in favor of the decision: phone calls to Ald. Virginia Rugai's 19th Ward office were in favor of the cancellation by a ratio of 10 to 1. Still, others continued to protest the decision, including a local college student who has already collected 1,500 signatures on a petition to have the parade revived. [Tribune]
Check out our pics from this year's South Side Irish Parade
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I love it when you can look at a group of girls and see the hot one, the loud fattie and their weird gay friend.
I can't say I'm surprised.
Of course a college student has collected 1500 signatures
Second City Cop Blog has more on this, including the email send by the well meaning director of this drunk fest. It is an interesting read.
The reason the parade became what it was, and was cancelled, is because people didn't respect the seperation of the family/dry side of the street (the East side), and the party side. It used to be, the East side was calm, easy to navigate and at least under control if not completely dry. If you were at the parade to party, you stuck to the west side of the street with all the bars.
Then bars from all around Chicago began bussing people down for the parade. Either not knowing the tradition, or just ignoring it, they dropped off busloads of people who were there to party on the East side of the street. Ever since that started, the East side has gotten more out of control, and the last year or two has been as crazy as the West side.
If people just respected the traditions of the parade, this situation would not have gotten to where it is today. The sheer numbers are definitely a contributor to the Parade's downfall, but are by no means the only cause.
I grew up in Beverly at the heart of the tradition, and I always thought people behaved like assholes at the parade - every year. Strangers used to park in our driveway..etc.. You can see men and women alike pissing in almost every alley.
The parade has lost whatever meaning it originally had.
I'm sure they'll find a way to celebrat, that will exclude most North siders who are not in the know.
I would argue that the parade itself - the floats, the school bands, the bagpipers, the irish dancers - is still true to the original meaning. Many of the parade goers are there just to get drunk and be drunk out on the street. It's those people who have lost the meaning or who never cared about the meaning to begin with.
why does it have to be a north side thing? 7 out of the 54 arrested were from the city- the rest are suburbanites. and the d-bags who get on the booze buses in LP aren't real north side anyway.
As actual North Side Irish who would under no circumstances go to this parade- the downtown one is fine for me and I find South Side Irish to be generally obnoxious and ridiculously clannish, particularly in large groups--i thought i would have schadenfreude when this got shut down. but instead i feel bad this got out of hand.
and having been to the de facto former west side irish, now west suburban, parade in Forest Park, that's just as much, or more of, a drinkfest on a smaller scale. I wonder if they will get the overflow next yr.
there were strong rumors before the parade that this would be the last year. i think the "numbers" from this year probably tipped the scale or at least provided a convenient reason.
my neighbors started the parade when i was two, so i definitely have a sentimental attachment to it. i have friends and family who march in it every year whether with a local school band or a local business. the parade itself has always been a celebration of the neighborhood and its local institutions. i understand the concerns of the city and the neighborhood, but i hate seeing a few (or 50) bad apples spoil the whole thing
Ahh the Irish...drunk and stupid...seems right.
:-)
They may have lost the battle but they won the war. Look at the Chinese New Year Parade last month, they had kilts and bagpipes for crying out loud. This cancellation just means more 'Irish pride' popping up in Cinco De Mayo, Columbus Day, Pulaski Day, you name it.
Not to mention the North Side parade and the West Side parade in Forest Park I believe. That Forest Park one is getting bigger every year and now with no South Side parade I could see that one getting much bigger, and by bigger I mean overloading their douchebag quotient by 60%
"I love it when you can look at a group of girls and see the hot one, the loud fattie and their weird gay friend."
Are we gonna give JessNevins a pass on this outrage!!!!!!
And I can assure you, that I have Not looked at his comment and then the picture above several times to get a few laughs.
So either we publicly rebuke JessNevins or we give him a Chicagoist beer coupon for given us a good laugh. Uhm, not that I laughed mind you
I think it best to just start ignoring the precocious little wunderkind when it's plain that it's just a grab for more attention.
Another of the Olds. Ingrid and Matilda, two old lady names.
Spook, I have nothing against fatties. Closing time, there's just more the love baby!
Ingrid you always make me feel guilty!
What are ya Spook, Catholic :)
Nahhh I'm agnostic, but I just wish Americans (I understand more if they are poor) were not so fat! I mean look at that women above! She looks like she grabbed that kid and is ready to bite his ear off for a snack! But when you say this the real P.C people jump all over you!
You can have the fatties J- Nevie, give me the tight bods,
Spook out !
spook,
i am sure all the fatties are relieved to know that they won't have to worry about fending you off
12 officers assaulted? I wonder what that REALLY means.