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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — For the first time since the start of the pandemic, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is returning to South Boston on Sunday— but not without controversy.
The parade route this year is a straight shot down Broadway street, beginning at the Broadway MBTA stop and ending at Farragut Road. Organizers said its the same route used in previous years when the weather was a concern.
They said the new parade route is for COVID-19 health and safety concerns.
The new parade route is not sitting well with some members of the community, including Lauretta Brennan — who created a petition to restore the usual route. She argues the Parade should march along its usual route to Andrew Square, which she said has historic merit.
"Henry Knox, George Washington, and volunteer militia paraded up what we know now as Dorchester Street, up Telegraph Hill, and finally reached the Heights," on March 17, 1776 she said — as part of what would later be known as Evacuation Day, when British General William Howe withdrew his troops from Boston during the American Revolution. The parade officially shares a title with Evacuation Day.
The petition had collected about 1,100 signatures as of Tuesday morning. The parade starts at 1:00 PM on Sunday, March 20.
WBZ's James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) hit the streets:
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