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No surprise: Expect tighter security at July Fourth celebrations on the Esplanade
By adamg on Tue, 06/25/2013 - 11:07am
Police and parks officials file into Oval for press conference on July Fourth security.
Well, maybe one surprise: The Mass. Ave. bridge will be shut at 4 p.m. so that some sort of fireworks-related display can be done from it, state officials announced today.
State Police said fireworks attendees can expect bag checks, prohibitions on many items and far greater police and camera surveillance of the Pops concert and fireworks.
Everybody entering the Oval in front of the Hatch Shell - and the lagoon - will be subject to bag checks. Prohibited completely: Backpacks, cans and glass bottles, coolers on wheels, pre-mixed drinks and grills. Allowed: Liquids in sealed plastic containers no greater than 2 liters, tents or canopies of up to 10' by 10' with no sides, blankets and tarps up to 10x12 and folding chairs. Also, you'll have to bring all your personal belongings in a clear, plastic bag (you can put your purse in the bag).
But it gets even more restrictive at 4 p.m., when State Police will bar all items except chairs, tarps and blankets.
State Police say they'll have more troopers - all in yellow vests - patrolling the grounds, along with a larger number of undercover troopers and federal agents. And smile: State Police are installing more surveillance cameras than ever before.
At the July 3 rehersal concert, no tents or canopies will be allowed.
The fireworks this year will begin at 9:30 p.m., rather than 10.
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Comments
and according to WBZ's
and according to WBZ's website, after 4pm the Mass Ave bridge will be completely closed down to both traffic and pedestrians and there will be no public viewing from the bridge! That is just insane. So now if you live in the lower Back Bay or Fenway area and you want to get to cambridge after 4pm you have to do it the hard way and either head across the BU bridge or T it to Park Street to head across the Longfellow!? Holy take things a little overboard!
I fail to see any rationale
I fail to see any rationale for closing the bridge to pedestrians.
In fact, you only end up increasing the density of spectators elsewhere around the river and creating other chokepoints, putting spectators at higher risk if someone did try an attack, and making emergency response that much harder.
Hey, but freedom ain't free, right? We all have to make sacrifices to ensure our continued freedom.
So what youre saying is that
So what youre saying is that theyre mimicking the TSA tactic of creating a huge density of people by forming a winding line in the area before security?
The red line is going to be a nightmare.
You got it!
You got it!
And the bag checkpoints to get near the Hatch Shell are yet another chokepoint, full of unscreened spectators. A suicide bomber's dream, huh?
It'd be great if a reporter went up to the spectators waiting to have their bags searched and asked them whether they felt unsafe standing around so many unscreened people trying to get in.
Bridge closing may not be for security reasons
Somebody from Boston 4 Productions, the David Mugar company that organizes the celebrations, was at the security press conference and said they are planning some fireworks-related entertainment thing based on the bridge. He didn't specify what and, to be honest, I didn't put 2 and 2 together (I didn't see the note about the bridge closing until after the press conference) so I didn't ask him for details (nor did anybody else that I could tell).
Doesn't really matter if it's
Doesn't really matter if it's for security theater or entertainment, closing one of the best vantage points is just pure fuckupery.
Home of the brave?
Can we also omit "Home of the brave" when The Star-Spangled Banner is sung?
How appropriate that we celebrate our nation's founding and the incredible bravery of those who fought for and died for our independence by shouting from the rooftops, "We are afraid of our fellow citizens. We are afraid of their bags. We are afraid of their drinks. We are afraid of their food."
So how about the Cambridge side along the river? You know, the side which gets as equally packed with spectators as the Esplanade?
Amen.
Amen.
Those are good questions, Saul.
America, the home of the free and the home of the brave? My ass. As a country, Americans have grown more timid and much more willing to sign away their constitutional rights and Civil Liberties as time's gone by.
It's agreed that closing off certain areas to spectators and/or pedestrians is only going to have nightmarish results; it'll be more crowded in many other places. What a sad, sad joke!
"Security"
Adam, please do not conflate "over-reaction" with "tighter security".
Boylston Street was the most policed and photographed slice of New England two months ago, and none of it was a deterrent to two young men who showed up to sow mayhem.
You want real security around the Hatch Shell and river? Ban everyone within a two-mile radius of the Hatch Shell. Then I can assure you with 100% certainty that nothing bad will happen.
I'm awaiting the news reports with quotes from self-proclaimed patriots such as, "You gotta take these precautions in the time we're living in."
You just proved their point!
Exactly. And it STILL was bombed, right? So the only thing to do is to completely remove the public. It's the only way to keep them safe. It's for their own good. That's how the police think.
Extremely frustrating. I don't intend to downplay the horrific marathon bombings but if the city reacted the same way every time one person murdered another person, most of the city would be blocked off and there would be hundreds of security cameras on every street.
Hey
no crime happened on Terrorist Lockdown Day. Don't give them any ideas.
security theater.
more wasted time and money.
Cost
Charge a $10 admission fee to enter the Hatch Shell and tell spectators it's to cover all the police overtime. Remind spectators that "Freedom isn't free."
Spectators want to feel safe packed in with their fellow citizens? Then let them pay for it. Why should non-event-goers foot the police overtime bill?
Funny how we have the money to cover all this extra "security" apparatus but none to maintain our crumbling trains and signals.
Fix a train or a highway once..
and it;s along time before you have to fix it again. Scare the shit out of an entire city, you're always going to have work.
Rutger Hauer said it best: "And remember, there is no security..".
Then of course from "Next Stop Wonderland": "There is no security, only security guards".
Theyre seriously closing the
Theyre seriously closing the main bridge across the river to pedestrians, which is also a favorite viewing spot?
100% pure idiocy.
Terrorists couldnt have created a bigger disruption of they tried.
Looking at the added
Looking at the added detail...
They're essentially forcing TSA rules on an entire area of the city.
Clear plastic bags. No liquids unless sealed. No personal items.
On the day of FREEDOM.
It's madness.
Gives these security nazis one inch, and they take a mile. It really isnt farfetched to imagine a decade from now the fireworks will be produced in an undisclosed location, and available for viewing only on TV so no one goes outside.
Hey, JJJ
my father fought in WWII against Hitler and the Nazi Party for our freedom. He was part of the bombardment group the flew low over Ploesti in Romania to bomb the bejesus out of the oil refineries. He saw his best friend get his head ripped off by schrapnel as the plane they were both in was being bombarded with flack.
One thing I can't stand is jerks like you who throw around the word "nazi" like toilet paper. Please stop. The folks running this show are no more "nazi" than you are and when you attached the word "nazi" as a discriptive moniker to another word because, oh, I don't know, maybe because you are just plain old ignorant, you insult everyone one who fought, suffered and/or died fighting the real nazis.
Are you offended by Seinfeld
Are you offended by Seinfeld as well?
Take a deep breath. You'll live longer.
Seinfeld is a TV sitcom...
The Soup Nazi was a character in a TV sitcom, outlandish and outrageous and used for comic effect.
You used the word "nazi" to describe folks who are just trying to keep us secure and do their jobs and are not a character or characters in a TV sitcom. I stand by my previous post.
Well, some might say that
Well, some might say that shutting a major bridge and banning everything but a small clear bag is pretty outlandish, outrageous and comical too, and that these folks are just actors in the massive security theater show that's taken over this country the past decade.
I stand by my previous post.
Drop the shovel, Saul..
you are already deep enough in your hole.
Erm, he's fine
You're the one overreacting. Your father was not the only one who served. No one has to restrict their language (when they're using something in the common parlance anyways) to avoid upsetting the precious genius, you.
Well, anon...
I don't think I am. To use the word, "nazi", whether with a large "N" or a small "n", a word that represents a party who killed, oh, 11 million people, to describe anything other than a member of the Nazi party is completely wrong.
And it is disturbing when folks like yourself defend the use of this word as "common parlance". Wow. Maybe this attitude started with the term "Soup Nazi" but, again, it does not make it right.
It is also disturbing that you feel it is ok to say what you want to others without apparent thought. Good luck with that.
And yet you're not offended
And yet you're not offended by a comedian using the same word in his sitcom. Gotcha. Make up your mind.
Gotcha...
I never said in my original post that I was not offended.
Gotcha...
I never said in that post that I was not offended.
Gotcha...
I never said in that post that I was not offended. And you just made an assumption that was incorrect.
Third time the charm? ;)
.
Did your father have access
Did your father have access to a dictionary?
3.
Sometimes Offensive. ( often lowercase ) a person who is fanatically dedicated to or seeks to control a specified activity, practice, etc.: a jazz nazi who disdains other forms of music; tobacco nazis trying to ban smoking.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nazi?s=t
Yeah, did you read the words
"sometimes offensive"....
And your first comment is off point and senseless.
You just confirmed, again, you are an ignorant jerk.
come on
Quit acting like a victim with your manufactured outrage.
yaNNO...
I'm in agreement with you that it's not one of those top-tier offensive words that you just don't use, but it may be one to avoid when you don't know everyone in your audience super well.
And for cripes' sake, if someone says a word is offensive because of personal history and they'd rather you not use it, couldn't you just pick another one? No one's questioning that it's your right to use the words or that they're valid words -- I think the other person was just thinking maybe you could be a little bit decent and reconsider your vocabulary choice.
I think it was a bit more personal than that
Whether or not one agree's with his opinion on the matter, I think whyaduck's mien was much more heated and aggressive than you've characterized it.
Go back and read his original response - he directly calls JJJ a jerk and "plain old ignorant".
We are not that far away from
We are not that far away from when real Nazi's slaughtered millions of people on a wholesale, industrial scale, half-starved millions more in the countries they occupied and spread a monstorous reign of terror over . of Europe.
As a person well into middle age, I had met many folks who came to the U.S. in the late 1940's. Even a few years after the war ended, they still had little more than a few sets of clothes.
I realize that it's easy to use hyperbolic language to make a point, however for anyone familiar with what the Nazis did, the point is lost. Better to stick with more precise language than to fall for the cheap and easy exageration.
Oh please, enough with the manufactured outrage
If us Jews can joke about Nazis, what's your excuse?
Other precautions
The fireworks will be replaced with a laser show, Lockhart's baton will be required to meet TSA standards for dullness, and all novelty Uncle Sam hats will be screened at a separate entry point. Also, and this should really go without saying, but cameras in Fiedler's eyes.
Well, I guess it's decided then!
I won't be going. Not that anyone cares about my personal decision, but I have a feeling alot of people feel the same. It's not worth the trouble and absurdity of dealing with security theater.
So what are my options for large fireworks shows? Does Providence have a nice show?
Plenty of smaller town
Plenty of smaller town fireworks. But no assurances the mania has not seeped into every sleepy town in the state.
This can be done right ...
The organizers should close off Back Bay and Beacon Hill streets, set up a bank of check points (not just a single one) and take a cue from the Obama Campaign/Secret Service.
When my son asked me to take him to the Obama/Clinton rally in Concord, NH, I was amazed at how organized the situation was.
There was a line - a VERY long (~1 mile in total) but single "group" line with line minders ever so often directing people.
The line was very narrow in width, but constantly moving. It was deliberately snaked around several blocks of downtown Concord, and it was organized to make sure there wasn't much of a population density in any one place. That took care of the "set bomb off in jam up of people" issue right there.
It took a bit more than an hour to get into the secured area, but, like I said, the line was pretty much constantly moving. People were given a great deal of advanced warning about what was and wasn't allowed, so there wasn't much hold up with that.
Also, the single group line ended in not one, not two, but about a dozen screening stations (why it moved constantly) and there were people there to point to the next available space.
Or …
Or, we can say that this is a freakin' concert and fireworks gathering that does not need the security apparatus of a presidential rally.
This is the densest part of the city. There will be crowds of unscreened spectators no matter what kind of checkpoints you set up. The hordes getting off the T at Charles and Arlington and Copley will be packed as tightly or more so than on the actual Esplanade. Why don't we just set up checkpoints at every T stop and on the Pike and 93 and 128 and Storrow Drive to stop any banned items from getting within three miles of the Hatch Shell?
Exactly
I was just involved in a free, outdoor Memorial Day concert that attracts 50,000 people to an area between two major landmarks in a major Midwestern city. The police, FBI and TSA looked at the event plan and basically told us they couldn't stop someone from bringing in a device, so they concentrated on response. Staff and volunteers were trained to spot suspicious packages and what to do about them. It wasn't difficult. We identified two throughout the day, police responded and I don't think anyone who wasn't carrying a radio would have ever known something went down.
I realize what happens at the Esplanade is much, much bigger and a more prime target, but how about we be honest and admit there's no way to secure that kind of site? Focus on response and visibility for the sake of deterrence, and otherwise let people have a good time.
Because doing something that
Because doing something that only causes inconvenience and adds nothing to one's safety is always preferred to admitting that sometimes bad things happen.
The politician who admits that "we cannot guarantee that someone with bad intentions can be stopped" is the politician who will regret hearing those words in sound bites the next time he's up for re-election.
Personally I would likely
Personally I would likely vote for said person if I lived in his/her district.
The Overtime Economy
Think of it this way: those who get lots of overtime and get political clout for "necessitating" a lot of overtime are the ones who get to decide that such excessive presence is needed.
I'm cynical enough that I honestly believe that it is possible that all of this is featherbedding on the backs - or legs - of the marathon victims.
The point isn't whether or not it will work - the point is that we aren't allowed to even question whether it is necessary or effective.
Secret Service handles all
Secret Service handles all candidate/principle security and checkmarks, the campaigns have little to no say in the format.
The Secret Service gets the TSA to carry out all of the checks.
Big issue is resources--it's very hard to procure that many magnetometers.
magnetometers
>> it's very hard to procure that many magnetometers
Given that the TSA has abandoned them as primary screening, they should be quite easy to procure.
Now I'm beginning to think
Now I'm beginning to think that part of the reason CBS is not broadcasting the Pops is that by reducing the audience for this event probably just lowered the likelihood of a copy-cat crime by at least 95%.
I've done the Esplanade 4th exactly once. Way too many people, and it's usually way too hot. The 4th is much more fun in the backyard with friends, cooking burgers on the grill and drinking beer.
congrats for having a backyard, but most city dwellers do not
Right, and that's awesome if you have a backyard or a roof deck for BBQ'ing with friends. HOWEVER. Most of us who live in denser neighborhoods of Boston do not. The Esplanade is our backyard on the 4th. Sure we can't barbecue or throw back a few beers, but we get the Pops and fireworks and we're not too delicate to endure the heat, humidity and crowds that come along with such a spectacular show. Some people are cut out for city living and others just can't hack it.
Besides your backyard (if you
Besides your backyard (if you had one) or the Esplanade, you could also go to some third location.
Yup
For the years before we got married, my husband lived in an apartment facing Storrow Drive in Kenmore. We'd wait until the latest minute possible and hop over and push our way into the Esplanade crowd for the fireworks, usually after hanging out in the parking lot or going out for drinks.
It's entirely possible, with creativity, to see the fireworks from points outside the security checkpoints. I never go into "secure" areas, they aren't worth it.
what a bunch of nonsense
This is supposed to be a day to celebrate freedom, and they bring this fascism to it? I know they need to step security up, but this is way too far. Put more cops in the crowd, and put more cameras up. Have bomb sniffing dogs around the Esplanade, and look for unattended bags. Those are acceptable security measures. These checkpoints are insanity. There aren't even words to describe how awful closing the bridge is. Welcome to the Police States of America. It's a Brave New World out there. I'm going to be protesting at the Restore the Fourth rally instead. We're all afraid of our own shadows now. You're more likely to be struck by lightning than to be killed by a terrorist. We're giving up everything we hold dear as a country to protect ourselves against a very sm's surveall, yet very visible threat. We're the land of the NSA and the home of the cowards now. Ben Franklin once said, "Those who would sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither."
fascism
Don't mention fascism.
You may offend whyaduck.
Didn't Dzhokhar Tsarnaev say
Didn't Dzhokhar Tsarnaev say that their original plan was July 4th/Esplanade, but they switched the bombings to the Marathon instead? I have no problem with the extra security this year, given that it was the original target. Next year, we can relax it.
And he's in a prison bed and
And he's in a prison bed and his brother's in the ground.
So what's your point?
>> I have no problem with the extra security this year
Who said anything about security?
>> Next year, we can relax it
You mean anyone who is mentally disturbed and was planning an attack next week but who is deterred by the extra police show will suddenly stop being disturbed once the clock strikes 2014?
You really think any of this security show is going to be relaxed once it's implemented once?
Because all the security stopped the Marathon
bombings...oh wait...
Bag checks would have
Bag checks would have prevented the Marathon bombings. They are unfortunately impossible given the way the Marathon is currently set up though (and should stay that way - open to all people). The Esplanade is a different story because there are already controlled points of entry and exit.
Wrong
Bag checkpoints at the finish area would have indeed prevented a bombing at the finish area.
But do you think someone who is so mentally deranged as to want to stage such an attack would not just plant their devices a few blocks away? I have news for you: Kenmore Square (especially as the Sox game is ending) and other areas near the end of the course are just as packed as Boylston Street. That's the problem with these kinds of checkpoints: they don't necessarily deter an attack, they just shift its location a few hundred feet or yards.
Look at the Moscow airport bombing a few years ago: it was in the baggage claim area, where anyone can waltz into and out of.
Cambridge side is a better place to watch the fireworks
for many reasons.
The view is better.
MIT buildings are open to the public and provide air-conditioning, shelter from rain or thunderstorms, restrooms, water fountains, and vending machines.
The MIT student center at 84 Mass. Ave. contains a grocery store, as well as several fast-food restaurants.
But ... don't try to use the Kendall Square Red Line station right after the fireworks end. It simply isn't built to handle that kind of crowd. Plan to either wait a while (which should be easier now that fireworks will end at 10 pm), ride a bicycle, or walk up to Lechmere to get a #69, #80, #87, or #88 bus.
I have not heard whether
I have not heard whether there will also be checkpoints along Mem Drive. The crowds there are just as intense as along the Esplanade.
If not, then this truly is security theater.
Make it look like something is being done to protect against an unspecified threat yet leave countless thousands exposed to the same vague threat.
Cambridge Police
Their response to my query --
https://twitter.com/CambridgePolice/status/3496097...
Can I bring my copy of the Fourth Amendment as long as it's in a small clear bag?
C'mon Saul, make it more interesting!
and bring copies of all the relevant cases that interpret the Fourth, too!
You might also consider bringing your copy of Article 14 of the Declaration of Rights and the relevant state cases (I suggest Carkhuff, in particular).
You'll have tons of fun!
Way to go, Ron!
Your suggestions and points make great, good sense! Keep up the good work!
a happy naked fourth
What we really need to do here is ban clothing on the Esplanade during the celebration. I would feel real safe then. Maybe concerned citizens should just take it upon themselves to declare the event "clothing optional" and there would be very little need for security at all. No need for bag checks or searches.
Nice...
Now that would be a reason to venture from JP down to the Esplanade!
A new tag line!
Boston Scared!
Welcome, suburbanite Herald
Welcome, suburbanite Herald readers!
Interesting...
This may be interesting only to me, but I wonder about the demographic make-up of the Boston Strong crowd. Mostly people that have lived in Boston for a short period of time? A lot of folks from the 'burbs? Among my friends, only those who a) have not lived in Boston long/don't have roots here or b) love catchy slogans (Yankees Suck! Boston Strong! LiveStrong!) got into the Boston Strong branding.
To criticize security
To criticize security procedures because they are not 100% effective is setting the bar too high. Banks are still robbed despite the (ineffective) laws against that activity.
Security could be a lot cheaper and maybe a lot more effective if only certain people based on their religion or nationality were targeted. But that is not how we do things in our country. So unlike many here I find the approach to treat everyone suspiciously although wasteful of money and causing a lot of inconvenience is really in its intent in the spirit of the 4th.
Bahhhhh!
Terry McVehhhhhhhh ... Unibahhhhhhhmer ... Eric Rahhhhhhhbert Rudahhhhhhhhph.
Cambridge side
A reply from the state police --
https://twitter.com/MassStatePolice/status/3496800...
Conflicting answers from the state police and the Cambridge police.
Fireworks to be shot from Mass. Ave. bridge
from the event's official announcement today:
I don't know if they really need 5 1/2 hours to prepare for this, but if they do, that explains the 4 pm bridge closing.
And State Police come back with ...
This tweet:
And...
They fired fireworks from the bridge.
So, the MSP doesn't even know why they shut the bridge down...but we trust them to make rules that violate our rights while looking for hidden terrorists?
Mooninites again
How fortunate we are in Boston. We have the same city and state cop forces who kept us safe from Mooninites. We obey.
http://bit.ly/gyCh9z