Fox News Flash top headlines for March 12
Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.
Kiss me, I'm Irish! – but you better behave.
Boston officials are hoping an earlier start time for this year's iconic South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade will tamp down on the "tomfoolery."
The two-for-one celebration – a St. Patrick's Day and Evacuation Day parade – is slated to kick off at 11:30 a.m. local time on Sunday, March 16. That's an hour-and-a-half earlier than past years as politicians and parade organizers attempt to prevent bad behavior from revelers.
"The parade will be starting earlier this year in an attempt to get a better handle on the tomfoolery," state Sen. Nick Collins said in a statement to local outlet, the Dorchester Reporter. "Last year, there were regrettable moments at the parade that we don’t want to see repeated this time around."
BOSTON MAYOR FACES HEAT OVER SANCTUARY CITY POLICIES AS PATRIOTS OWNER'S SON GOES ON OFFENSIVE
FILE - Revelers dance on a trolley during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (Angela Rowlings/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Collins, as well as City Councilor Ed Flynn, both of whom called for reforms to the parade after chaos ensued last year.
"Operate under the golden rule, and if you wouldn’t do it back home – don’t do it here," Flynn, a retired U.S. Navy veteran that served during Operation Enduring Freedom, told Fox News Digital.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox shared a similar message.
BOSTON COUNCILWOMAN SOUNDS OFF AFTER TOM HOMAN'S CPAC PROMISE TO ‘BRING HELL’
"We ask anyone coming to treat this event, and the neighborhood, as if it was your home," Cox said. "Boston is a welcoming city, but the fact is, we do not welcome unruly and unlawful behavior."
FILE – A parade marcher dressed as a Star Wars character high-fives spectators in South Boston. (Dina Rudick/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
"This is a family-friendly event. This is not a drinking fest," Cox continued.
Cox said all liquor stores in South Boston will close at 4 p.m., taverns and restaurants will stop admitting people at 6 p.m. and they'll stop serving alcohol at 7 p.m.
Cox warned parents that children and teens should be accompanied, or not attend at all.
"It's not Mardi Gras, and it's not meant to be that way," Boston EMS Chief James Hooley said at the press conference.
FILE - Members of the Lexington Minutemen march during the St. Patrick's Day Parade in the South Boston neighborhood on March 15, 2015. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
South Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade is one of the largest in the United States. Last year's parade drew about a million people.
Hooley said the parade was "not as well-behaved last year" and it was particularly driven by "young, intoxicated people in general and the fighting associated with it."
BOSTON RESIDENT CALLS OUT ‘CLUELESS’ MAYOR FOR CLASHING WITH BORDER CZAR TOM HOMAN
FILE - The "Make Way For Ducklings" duckling statues got ready for a St. Patrick's Day parade in Boston by wearing green bonnets. (David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Multiple people were arrested at last year's parade, according to local outlet Boston 25 News. Issues included disturbing incidents of violence, assaults that went viral, people on rooftops without a roof deck, and beer cans being thrown at parade marchers, the outlet reported.
"If you are a guest, or in South Boston for the Evacuation Day Parade – show some common courtesy and respect for the residents, for our veterans and military families, our dedicated first responders, and our history," Flynn said.
The parade is also a celebration of Evacuation Day – the evacuation of British troops from Boston on March 17, 1776.
Fox News Lifestyle
A look at the top-trending stories in food, relationships, great outdoors and more.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.
