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Cambridge cancels Caribbean festival due to violence before Boston parade
By adamg on Thu, 08/29/2019 - 11:56pm
Cambridge Carnival tonight announced the cancellation of the annual festival on Sept. 8.
Based on the recommendation of Cambridge Police Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr., and the Cambridge Carnival Committee, the City Manager Louis A. DePasquale have agreed to cancel this year’s Cambridge Carnival. This year’s event was scheduled for Sunday, September 8.
For the past 26 years, the Cambridge Carnival has been an important cultural event for the City of Cambridge and the greater region. However, there have been increasing safety concerns associated with this year’s event due in part to the gun violence that occurred last weekend in the immediate vicinity of Boston’s Caribbean Carnival Parade.
The safety of the Cambridge community and those planning to participate in this event or any Cambridge event is paramount and will always serve as the highest priority as it pertains to making difficult decisions like this.
We greatly appreciate the community and expected participants’ understanding with this decision.
Last weekend, before the start of the annual Caribbean parade down Blue Hill Avenue, several people were shot in or near Franklin Field and Harambee Park in Dorchester, one fatally.
H/t Greg Cook and Ron Newman.
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Comments
Poor decision - other motives?
Poor decision by Cambridge. I attended the Boston Carnival and never once felt unsafe along the parade route. The Cambridge Police Commissioner should be ashamed for cancelling an event with a 26 year history.
That's nice for you
I wonder if Jared Brown felt unsafe before he was murdered?
Here you go
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/08/30/citing-gun-violence-around-...
(subject changed)
(Looks like bosguy22 linked it...)
First paragraph:
"The organizer of the Cambridge Carnival said Friday that the Sept. 8 event had been canceled due to “reliable intelligence” that a shooting could break out at the event."
Soooo Because there was
Soooo Because there was multiple shootings in a certain section of (Boston) , you cancel the carnival in a whole different city? That makes as much since as canceling the Ny and Miami ones as well. Sounds like lamebridge , oops I meant Cambridge just wanted any excuse to cancel smh
Event has its own history of violence
Look up the history - the Cambridge Carnival has a shooting or stabbing almost every year. No other annual Cambridge event has this violent history. Yes they were looking for a reason to cancel and glad they found one.
the boston carnival has a
the boston carnival has a history of violence almost every other year.
the cambridge carnival had one shooting 2 years ago.
To be fair
I heard a rumor there'd be candles.
A+ Comment
n/t
Weak comparison
NY and Miami are thousands of miles apart. Cambridge and Boston are not an inch apart. People wanting to do violence are not going stop at the Boston and Cambridge border and say to themselves, "Oh no, we can't shoot or stab in Cambridge."
Media does not report all of the violence or gang activity. There is lot more than is reported. Enough that it can give the impression that there is a lot more violence than most folks realize.
If there was weekly published list of violence and criminal gang activity it might lend a very different picture to the city.
How many local gangs, based mainly in the city? Last time I counted between 30 and 40. Add criminal motorcycle gangs whose region is more than only the city. Add the national gang members and association between local and national gangs. There is more than most realize.
west indians in the d.r.m.
west indians in the d.r.m. rarely travel up to m.i.t.
False
I know a West Indian from the DRM who work at MIT. I also know many who play basketball up there. And another’s one who plays in a flag football league near MIT. Also a number of way Indians in Cambridge who have family in the DRM.
I'm sure they have motorcycles, too
Lots of motorcycles.
MOTORCYCLES THAT WANT TO KILL YOU.
You done with the crazy racist paranoia yet?
BPD posts stats every day
https://bpdnews.com/?category=Crime+Stats
Motorcycles?
I've hardly ever seen them at either city's carnival. The streets are closed to motorized vehicles for many blocks.
You're confusing your stereotypes
The "criminal motorcycle gangs" of Carribean people are kids from Roxbury scooting around on dirt bikes for funsies; they're harmless except maybe to themselves.
The "criminal motorcycle gangs" that shoot and stab people are white men, and they don't attend Carribean parades.
worcester ?
how come worcester didnt have to cancel since it is also close by.
Way to go, dickheads
Tho I am pleased that there won't be any bullshit going on in the stern, but fair city.
The Criminals Win
Your decision to cancel the Cambridge Caribbean parade is that sign all decision-making parties are Cowards.
Starting with your Chief who are apparently I have no confidence in his officers to maintain safety. I'm so glad the commissioner of Boston is not such a Coward.
I guess if you have a weak and effective scary police Department you make these type of cancellations.
Cambridge Police can't run forever.
Your decision shames everybody.
This is the chief that couldn
This is the chief that couldn't figure out criminals engaging in a car to car rolling gun battle could be changed with attempted murder and not just misdemeanors a few days ago in testimony to the legislature.
The department leadership is obsessed with politics to the detriment of effective community policing and officer morale. Boston is fortunate to have excellent leadership at BPD right now in stark comparison. Gross could teach Cambridge a lot right now.
Good
.
woof
you're usually pretty progressive. what happened?
deleted
double post
A rare outbreak of sanity
Living in Central, this event has become an annual, unnecessary head ache inflicted on people who live here by people who don't.
The whole recurring gun violence sub-theme has been ignored by people who are afraid of being called racist for pointing it out. I guess the actual body count finally trumped PC sensitivities.
Last year's Cambridge Carnival was problem-free
Yes, there was some trouble in 2015 and 2017, but none last year.
So there's been trouble twice
So there's been trouble twice in the last four years and people shot at a similar event in Boston last week?
Cancellation doesn't seem that unreasonable TBH.
Speaking as a Central Resident
Living in Central, this event has become an annual, unnecessary head ache inflicted on people who live here by people who don't.
A) Have you taken a poll of people in the parade? This seems like a poor assumption.
B) For myself, I think the parade is very cool event for the neighborhood. Every once in awhile there's violence. Every once in a while there's violence at a super bowl parade too. Should we ban those too?
The Super Bowl parade is in
The Super Bowl parade is in Boston, Cambridge can’t cancel it.
If we're going to generalize
If we're going to generalize about parades in the greater boston area, then the super bowl parade and st pat's day parade can't be ignored.
Who is generalizing and why?
Who is generalizing and why?
This is regarding a specific event/parade that was cancelled by Cambridge, a separate city. Boston had a similar parade last weekend, has sports related parades and St. Patrick’s without cancelling. Why should they be included in this discussion?
Greater Boston
Is a thing.
So did the Cambridge Police tell the City Council "There Will Be Violence"?
No one said there is no such
No one said there is no such thing as “greater Boston”. Just that Cambridge cancelling a parade has nothing to do with Boston events.
The Central Square World's Fair
this ain't.
Glad they cancelled it.
I'm going to assume the
I'm going to assume the professionals know what they are doing and that their goal is to keep everyone safe. Might this be a gang related issue and that gangs are found in both places? Is it possible that they fear one gang will retaliate for the previous week's shooting and use the carnival as the perfect opportunity to do it?
The problem isn't the police commissioner or the city or even guns. The problem is gangs. Gang violence is a problem throughout Massachusetts. And guess what - it's coming to a neighborhood near you soon. Then we'll see who the "cowards" are.
that sux.
that sux.
2 years ago there was a shooting.
4 persons were shot at the boston carnival in 2015.
i didnt hear of any shootings this year at the boston carnival.
A recent summary of the event
2017: shooting
2016: stabbing
2015: shooting
2014: stabbing
2018: nothing
Last year's Cambridge carnival had no problems at all. There is no good reason to cancel this popular and joyful event.
maybe cambridge and boston police talk?
maybe they know things we dont know?
What about all those sportball/puck parades?
What about that annual Green Beer Toxicity and Stupidity Event?
We don't cancel those because a couple of knuckleheads do the stupid.
Aw
Care to provide the sources of shootings, stabbings, and homicides at any of the title parades ? I'll wait - even for sources on those at the plastic paddy day parade.
the 2013 red sox celebration
the 2013 red sox celebration the nite they won (not the organized parade) had 2 deaths.
Lest we also forget
https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/12-Arrested-at-Patriots-Super-Bowl-...
You'll notice how they carefully craft their comments so that it's only a particular type of violence. These things are still nasty.
But, fuck, I'm not going to lie, I wanted the Cup of Lord Stanley to parade through town this year. It's just unfortunate they can be so filled with idiots like the ones in the link.
There was a killing at a Red
There was a killing at a Red Sox celebration but the cops were the ones who killed the victim...
3 people were shot
3 people were shot at J'ouvert and theres been like 7/8 shot this week.
Still this is not the worst violence the event has seen. 26 years running and they act like this is the worst year? Its not. The organizational head is running for City Council..thats why
This just shows you how
This just shows you how Liberals can be racist too.
aww cute
i’m sure you think you’ve discovered some grand hypocrisy
"Can be" still beats
"Can be" still beats "generally are as a rule of thumb." Sorry, my MAGA-hatted friend...
Racial Profiling
How is it anything else?
Since you asked so nicely
It could be that local law enforcement from both cities are aware of an on-going gang feud that resulted in a shooting in a large crowd last week, and are pretty sure things are too hot right now to throw that same party again. Just sayin.
PS: Love how the People Republic of Cambridge is now getting talked about like the trump White House.
Don't blame them
Those carnivals are magnets for violence because it gets people from different gangs/areas into the same compact location. Violence is inevitable, even if it doesn't happen every year.
Violence is inevitable, even
If it doesn't always happen, then it's NOT inevitable.
That's not to say it's not a valid concern, and maybe canceling the Cambridge event is justified.
Huh?
Inevitable means certain to happen. Point being even if it doesn't happen all the time, like say last year, it's bound to happen again. Perhaps this year. Better safe than sorry.
Shortsighted
There are 250 shooting in Boston every year. You gonna cancel 60% of the year? In Cambridge?
This will cause the size of Boston Carnival too swell. Expect an extra 5-10k. This will make the carnival even more dangerous and unmanageable. Also as the lone carnival in the area Boston's Mayor will face immense political pressure to keep it going because unlike Cambridge's mayor.,Bostons mayor is popularly elected.
Wat? (tangent warning)
How is Cambridge's mayor elected?
Appointed
Cambridge’s mayor is appointed by City council
Cambridge City Council
Cambridge City Council chooses the Mayor.
unnecessary
no need to cancel the event, the people doing the shooting are just the crazy ones who need help.
we shouldn’t punish the law abiding event goers who constitute the vast majority.
no need to cancel the event,
Do you think it would be possible to get them the help they need before next weekend?
the point *whoosh* your head
the point
*whoosh*
your head
You got that right.
You got that right.
the not crazy ones
often it is the "law abiding event goer" that winds up with a bullet in their head when two stupid assholes open fire on each other AT A PARADE!!!!
Can't have this in new Kendall Square
Bad for ... uh, something. Yeah, that's it.
The violence in Boston wasn't
The violence in Boston wasn't at the parade, it was at pre-parade parties hosted by private individuals. Is Cambridge planning to also cancel the parties they have absolutely no control over? Or are they hoping that regular people will cancel their planned events on their own and just stay home, even though for many people this is a once-per-year chance to bring together all their friends and family in celebration?
Read your own comments
This getting completely out of hand
People are posting about how few gun shots there were this year versus last year, or maybe it was only a "flesh wound" with a knife
Compare that kind of attitude about violence at a cultural event -- and the outcome -- to events as diverse as:
What differentiates the above -- they are "family" events with neighbors and visitors there to have fun -- not to settle scores, or see who is the biggest dog in the pack
If the Caribbean Community wants to be treated as regular members of civil society -- then they need to police their own events and neighborhoods -- gangs are not needed anywhere in a civil society.
dr. frankenstein has some responsibility too.
also consider that the d.r.m. is a historically designed red-lined ghettoized part of the city; which, sometimes incubates into crime due to socio-economic necessity and disfranchisement angst.
also, obviously, its the polices job to police (not the caribbean communitys):
Wide gap in Boston's homicide clearance rates draws questions ...:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/12/26/report-boston-homicide-unit...
Cambridge isn't thinking this through
The Caribbean Festival in Boston can't be cancelled because the celebration will happen whether it is sanctioned or not. This is historical and religious. And while it isn't perfectly safe in Boston, we get better every year.
We need to acknowledge that different neighborhoods received different amounts of police protection. When the police look like the residents and their daughters are dancing in the parade it makes a difference.
America celebrates diversity
You nor anyone else should require police, firefighters, EMTs, your neighbor, to look like you.
You also imply non-Caribbean, non-People of Color are mostly racist and deserving of disrespect.
lotsa bait
what are you insecure about? What is racist about expecting the people that work in city services to have employees that reflect the culture they are serving?