Mass Resistance and the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts have received multiple reports from within the Allied War Veterans Council—organizers of Boston’s Saint Patrick’s Day Parade—that the homosexual group OUTVETS was admitted to the 2017 parade only after numerous threats of violent protests disrupting the parade, potentially causing injuries and worse, were directed at Council members on social media.
Reports were also received that the Boston Police found these threats to be credible, and told Council members that they could not guarantee that they could contain the potential violence or maintain a secure perimeter around the parade route. According to sources, the Boston Police also told parade organizers that if they went forward with the parade without OUTVETS, the Council would be responsible for the ensuing violence. The police also suggested that the parade might have to be cancelled for public safety reasons.
If these reports are accurate, this is the second time in three years that the City of Boston has threatened to cancel the parade, as it was revealed in recent court filings that Mayor Marty Walsh threatened to withdraw the parade permit if homosexual groups were not allowed to march in 2014.
Mass Resistance and the Catholic Action League are characterizing these reports as “an appalling example of the unscrupulous methods and extreme measures which the Walsh Administration is willing to resort to in fulfilling its campaign pledges to the homosexual groups who supported the election of Marty Walsh as mayor.”
Mass Resistance President Brian Camenker stated: “If groups critical of homosexuality threatened violence towards a gay pride parade, they would be investigated by the FBI for everything from federal hate crimes to domestic terrorism. I have, personally, spoken to three current and former officials of the Allied War Veterans Council who have corroborated these allegations. The U. S. Attorney’s office needs to investigate these reports to determine if the civil and constitutional rights of parade organizers were violated.”
Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle made the following comment: “This is sheer thuggery by the Walsh Administration. A nine to zero United States Supreme Court decision has been, effectively, nullified by a city government engaging in unlawful threats, bullying, intimidation, ruthless pressure tactics, and the use of law enforcement to coerce citizens into forfeiting their constitutional rights. One of the most disturbing aspects of this controversy is that the leadership of the Boston Police now seem invested in implementing the political agenda of the Walsh Administration. Does the rule of law still apply? Boston used to be called ‘The Cradle of Liberty.’ Now, it resembles a banana republic, with a Peronist mayor.”
Interfering with the exercise of constitutional rights is a crime in Massachusetts (MGL Chapter 265, Section 37), and since 1991, has been a hate crime (Chapter 434 of the Acts of 1991).
