Nearly a dozen individuals were apprehended during the highly anticipated South Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade, which attracted a staggering one million attendees on Sunday. Boston police spokesperson Michael Torigian confirmed that a total of ten people were arrested at the event, facing charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault and battery. The suspects are scheduled to appear in South Boston District Court for arraignment.
In a commendable display of vigilance, an MBTA Transit Police sergeant noticed a heavily intoxicated 26-year-old man brandishing a firearm amidst the parade crowd near Andrew Square. The sergeant promptly arrested the individual, who was subsequently transported to TPDHQ for processing. The swift action taken by law enforcement is deserving of praise.
The parade, which commenced at Broadway Station and followed a 3.5-mile route before concluding at Andrew Square, drew record-breaking crowds, according to NBC 10 Boston. However, the South Boston Allied War Veterans Council, the parade’s organizers, did not respond to Boston.com’s requests for comment regarding the exact crowd size.
The overwhelming turnout posed challenges for some South Boston residents and the MBTA. At approximately 12:30 p.m., the transit company announced that select Red Line trains would bypass Broadway Station due to the heavy influx of parade-goers. An hour later, the decision was extended to include all trains on the line, as the station remained congested with attendees. Normal service resumed at around 4 p.m.
Throughout the festivities, several citizen complaints were lodged with the city. One complainant reported that a group of individuals had forcibly removed the sign for D Street and Bolton, even filming themselves in the act. The complainant provided photographic evidence of the incident.
In a separate incident preceding the parade, State Police intercepted a plane on the tarmac of Logan Airport to apprehend an Irish citizen who had traveled to Boston for the weekend. The individual stands accused of assaulting a woman at a downtown Boston hotel.
