Cambridge Carnival cancelled Citing Gun Violence in Boston (Waltham, Westfield: 2015, homes)

[BostonBornMassMade]

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...3BK/story.html

Although I understand public safety concerns this is extremely short sighted.

Boston has 250 shootings a year. What are you gonna do? cancel 60% of all days... in Cambridge?

If they dont bring Cambridge carnival back, this puts undue pressure on Boston and its Mayor. Expect 5-10k more people in Boston because it will be the lone carnival in the area. The extra bodies will make it more unmanageable and volatile. Unlike Cambridge, Bostons mayor is elected and faces extreme political pressure to keep this Carnival going. He could lose 10% points of the electorate if he were to cancel it. Boston has a much larger share of its population thats Black or West Indian than Cambridge. The Carnival is in his neighborhood.

This year was far from the worse year for violence in Boston. I think only 1 person has died at the carnival this decade. Why cancel it now after 26 years? I can answer why..Nicola Williams heads the Cambridge Carnival Parade and she is running for City Council so she heeded to political pressures.

[Cape Cod Todd]

It does seem like a ridiculous thing to cancel a carnival for.

In my area the Provincetown carnival week and huge parade went off without a hitch last week.



Security is a costly concern for any venue like a carnival but I would be more concerned with getting into a auto accident on the way to the carnival or even getting food poisoning from a stand than ever getting shot.



This does sound like a political move and fear of guns/shootings is the excuse.

[wolfgang239]

There have been incidents in the past, so they do have some basis beyond just what happened at the Boston carnival. Cambridge claims to have taken steps over the years to improve safety, but also say it is a big burden on city resources. I don't think the history is bad enough to warrant cancelling though. Sad that such a small number of bad actors can ruin such a unique event.

[mdovell]

I think it's stupid but to be frank I really don't think of ethnic festivals in Boston or eastern mass for that matter. They are all over the place in western mass. Generic white suburbs could care less about ethnic festivals. Since many immigrants in western mass were catholic the churches stayed fuller longer. That meant a bit more unity. Ludlow has a portugese one today, Westfield Irish on Sunday. Then there's the Greek one next week. The Puerto Rican parade and of course the St Patrick's one in Holyoke.

By all means if they want to bring it here (to expand it, we had ours a few weeks ago) world be welcomed with open arms.

I really don't picture diversity in Boston or Cambridge.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by mdovell

I think it's stupid but to be frank I really don't think of ethnic festivals in Boston or eastern mass for that matter. They are all over the place in western mass. Generic white suburbs could care less about ethnic festivals. Since many immigrants in western mass were catholic the churches stayed fuller longer. That meant a bit more unity. Ludlow has a portugese one today, Westfield Irish on Sunday. Then there's the Greek one next week. The Puerto Rican parade and of course the St Patrick's one in Holyoke.

By all means if they want to bring it here (to expand it, we had ours a few weeks ago) world be welcomed with open arms.

I really don't picture diversity in Boston or Cambridge.

Is this a joke...what? but you do in western mass. Thats a first.

Boston alone has like 5/6 ethnic festivals. Dominican, St. Paddys (Irish), Puerto Rican, Haitian, Juneteenth(African American) and more im just forgetting. Eastern Ma is just far more diverse than Western and ill leave it at that

[Mr. Joshua]

I work in Boston and talked to a cop about it. He says it's by far the worst event to work from a law enforcement perspective.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by Mr. Joshua

I work in Boston and talked to a cop about it. He says it's by far the worst event to work from a law enforcement perspective.

Why though- the uneasiness of knowing violence could break out. I've been a few times-its lots of public drinking and smoking but ive never seen fights. The cops just turn a blind eye to the drinking and smoking.

I dont doubt him, but im just curious as to whats the bad part. They seem to not care about drinking or smoking same as the hempfest rally. Ive never heard of vandalism or sexual assault. Its just leaves a lot trash-which isnt their responsibility.

My guess is they're just uneasy and have to be looking out for gang member s the whole time-which must be the sucky part. Though some cops there seem to be relatively at ease and just smiling etc.

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Why though- the uneasiness of knowing violence could break out. I've been a few times-its lots of public drinking and smoking but ive never seen fights. The cops just turn a blind eye to the drinking and smoking.

I dont doubt him, but im just curious as to whats the bad part. They seem to not care about drinking or smoking same as the hempfest rally. Ive never heard of vandalism or sexual assault. Its just leaves a lot trash-which isnt their responsibility.

My guess is they're just uneasy and have to be looking out for gang member s the whole time-which must be the sucky part. Though some cops there seem to be relatively at ease and just smiling etc.

It seems to be much more than just drinking and smoking. Did you read the article Wolfgang linked? Here is an excerpt:

At last year’s carnival, two separate shootings resulted in two people sustaining non-life-threatening injuries after a 23-year-old Dorchester man opened fire among thousands of people. Two people were injured by the gunfire -- a 20-year-old Dorchester man was hit in the foot and thigh, and a 43-year-old Waltham man was hit in the thigh from a ricocheting bullet.

Just 30 minutes later, at approximately 5:19 p.m., several gunshots were fired in the area of River and William streets in Cambridgeport, not far from the first incident. No one was injured, but bullets hit two homes.

Witnesses reported groups of young men in their 20s running from the scene.

At the 2016 carnival, a 15-person brawl broke out in which a woman’s face was slashed. In 2015, an unidentified suspect fired three shots on Portland Street, just two blocks from the heart of the carnival. One of the bullets struck a Roxbury woman’s leg, sending her to the hospital. Just one hour after that shooting, several fights broke out near the main stage among a large crowd of people, leading to the arrests of at least two people.

In 2007, a 16-year-old waved a loaded revolver in the middle of the carnival.

[BostonBornMassMade]

Originally Posted by redplum33

It seems to be much more than just drinking and smoking. Did you read the article Wolfgang linked? Here is an excerpt:

Thats the Cambridge Festival, ive never been. but im just saying the entire event is usually totally peaceful unless a shooting happens. 2016 Cambridge Brawl aside. If a shooting doesn't happen (most years it doesn't) is it that bad an event to police and if so why. It not that often theres a shooting tat the actual event, I think one person has died in the last 10 years.

Bigger question: Boston started its festival 46 years ago and Cambridge 26 years ago. When did these events gain a violent reputation? From the get-go? In the 80s?90s?2000s? I'm young so I cant say.

I wonder if i could dig up some old news articles... hmm.

Cambridge is also a very different festival than Boston with vendors, a stage and city officials all present. Boston is just a long day party in the streets with no-anything. No Water No food No Stage...

[redplum33]

Originally Posted by BostonBornMassMade

Bigger question: Boston started its festival 46 years ago and Cambridge 26 years ago. When did these events gain a violent reputation? From the get-go? In the 80s?90s?2000s? I'm young so I cant say.

I don't know. There's been similar violent incidents at PVD Fest in Providence.