Puerto Rican Day Parade Arrests Total 208

Comment number 30 ... Can we all say IGNORANCE ... A lot of what is posted is Ignorance, and the reason why our country is in the shape it is in today. The reason why our struggles as a nation are only getting worse, instead of better. First of all number 30, Puerto Ricans have a huge African (Black) lineage. Huge!!! Before we make such hateful judgements, we really should at least know our facts. Number 30 , travel to San Juan and see how proud Puerto Ricans are of their Spanish, African, and Taino Indian Hertiage

I use to be in a gang(bloods) before I went to college. Im Mixed Afro-American And Puerto Rican. I dont think its true to say someone that commits a crime automatically has no rights.Thats not fair. Example; if there's a family with six starving kids and the oldest child goes and steals food for them to eat because they cant afford, does that automatically strip him of all rights?? No, because half of the crime in america is created b/c it treats it's citizens like shit. we are one of the richest countries on the earth, yet we still have millions of people without homes. If you go to russia, even the poor people have affordable homes b/c thier government takes care of them. Im only 18 with a 3.8 gpa(so im smart enough to figure that out) but even gang members have rights. I joined b/c I was dirt poor, sometimes you have to what you have to do to survive. Gang members dont do crime just for the fun of it(not the real ones) for istance if i was to rob a bank, why do you think I did it? not to be selfish and say I just needed the money, but to also feed my family, and maybe even toss a few bucks to the homeless guy sleeping by the garbage bin. If the education in the U.S wasnt so crappy then there would be a hell of alot less gang members. Everyone isnt a genius. So what do the special ed kids do that cant go to college, or the kids wit attention dis orders?? They just get stuck in the barrios of rundown cities with no hope, so before you point your fingers at gang members. Remember how the us government works. The military is just another gang. They "Rep" thier flags, they die for the colors on the flag the same as gang members do, our military literally bullies other countries, yet where the good guys?? dont think so.

#63, nice argument! Not. The transparency of your ignorance is unbearable.

Sorry, but I can't stand my own people.

Yo soy boricua pa que tu lo sepas, and I agree with the arrests and the guy that said if you commit a crime you have no rights.

Well #62, seem like someone who actually knows Puerto Ricans and is honest enough to speak to the truth finally posted up in here! Kudos!!

Why thank you "S.D."! With a well thought-out rebuttal like that, how can I contest?!!

Wow "stylez", with the exception of point #1 that was the biggest load of BS I've read in a while.

Organized, but pretty much all BS.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I'll answer your questions...

1. Jen was legitimately commenting on the NYPD's blatant and intentional abuse of their given power. Also to offer the ACTUAL arrest numbers.

2. The popular Puerto Rican “holier than thou” attitude stems from their conscious realization that they and their country have been used. Sadly enough, they have no country they can call their own and some choose to live in a foreign land where they subconsciously believe they are ENTITLED to certain rights because of the abuse their homeland has endured. This is simply not so. Everyone carries their own weight here and plays the cards they are dealt. Learn to live with it and make the best of it.

3. People who are associated with gangs, ie The Latin Kings, have NO RIGHTS! Let's stop making it easy for criminals to be criminal! Break the law, lose your rights. Period. Otherwise, where is the deterrent?

4. A lot of Puerto Ricans celebrate the Parade two weeks before and two weeks after the date, and the rest of the year in between. Pride is fine but when you try to sell something SO HARD, it makes people wonder what exactly you're trying to convince them of and WHY you are trying so desperately.

5. Many Puerto Ricans protect Puerto Ricans till the death, but don't do the same for other Latino groups, or other races. They will quickly “hook up” another Puerto Rican (not always legally mind you--sorry), but NOT anyone else. This insincerity and two-facedness only creates distance and disdain from people, not affection at "how proud you are" of your own race. Furthermore, the habit of putting other races down who are NOT Puerto Rican, doesn’t help your cause but hurts it tremendously.

6. Don't try to push some Puerto Rican behavior on "other" races. If it was a Puerto Rican, even if it was bad, take credit.

7. Puerto Ricans, as well as EVERY OTHER RACE have good and bad in them. Simply acknowledging this fact will gain legions of supporters. Contrary to popular propaganda, ALL Puerto Ricans are NOT perfect. Sorry.

8. This term “Nuyoricans” is interesting. A great majority of Nuyoricans will quickly admit that they don't even speak Spanish. How can you proudly broadcast your affiliation to the "rican" part of "Nuyorican" if you don't speak the language of your heritage? Make an effort to learn, grow and evolve.

9. This idea of the RATIO of arrests to overall attendance is just sillyness. So if only a few women get molested at a parade it’s ok, because the RATIO was good.

10. Finally, the fact that this topic creates such conversational fervor, indicates the HUMILITY lacking amongst some Puerto Ricans in projecting a harmonious image not only amongst themselves, but to the world, in this case New York City. No, not all Puerto Ricans are bad. Not all parades are good. This is a thread on one day, one parade.

I don't feel Jen fuels any racial agenda.

she's pointing out the abuse by the NYPD. She's not passive aggressive, she's concerned and so should we when the NYPD let's loose it's crazy policies.

When will the city learn here . If you arrest people for no good reason beyond affiliation, It's going to come off as discriminatory ! The fact that they "Herded" them into a Holding area illustrates the point here . Sadly, Most people don't think about where the money the city uses to settle these stupid cases . (It's tax dollars assholes)

Okay, Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne(nose) is commenting on this, which can only mean one thing: 208 people showed up to the Puerto Rican Day Parade... on bicycles.

I'm no fan of the Puerto Rican Day Parade (funny there have never been any gang rapes at the St. Patrick's Day Parade), but what's even more frightening is that the NYPD has continued to get away with massive round-ups of people as preventive detention. They do it almost every month at Critical Mass, they locked up protesters without cause during the RNC in 2004 and purgered themselves repeatedly at trials. They have no respect for the First Amendment - and yes, even useless animals like the Latin Kings have First Amendment rights.

There were no crip arrests because there are very few crips in New York.

#22 has got it right.

I rarely read Gothamist anymore b/c it's getting so predictable. Jen posts an entry that's sure to inflame everybody, with race-baiting headlines, probably a trick she learned in Yellow Journalism 101 at Columbia. I mean, when you can't even properly put together a coherent sentence or avoid absurd typos, and the only informed commentary you can provide is regarding Paris Hilton, well you can still reel 'em in by reporting how many arrests were made at the PUERTO RICAN DAY PARADE ... ooooh! (I can just see the gleam in her eye and the drool dripping out of her mouth as she anticipates all the racist fools who will boost her website's ratings, and the offended parties who will further jack up the number of visitors)

Hell, she probably had a friend post the stupid crap about the Jews because we weren't responding fast enough.

Anyway, SD, FWIW I really enjoy the Puerto Rican Day Parade as a great celebration of Boricua heritage and I'm sure if the Israeli or Pakistani or Armenian Day Parade got the same sort of media coverage you'd hear about their share of knuckleheads too, so pay no attention to the haters who probably don't even know what they are so they have nothing to celebrate.

My real beef isn't with them, though. It's will the editorial conent so obviously designed to encourage them.

/rant over

Honestly, I would be thrilled if we never had another parade here ever again. I know it's good for tourism and the economy, but the chaos, trash, and NOISE is really frustrating. I know it's one of the tradeoffs of living here, but I wish revelers would remember that this city is also many people's home.

Wait... I thought only Southerners were backward racists?

I don't know why people are so whiny about the Puerto Rican Day Parade. I personally delight in seeing millions of people throw mountainous piles of trash everywhere and piss in the street all in the name of cultural unity. Wait, what's a wilding?

Hey, I'm half Puerto Rican and I am ASHAMED of it every time that parade rolls around. Just saying the truth as it applies to me and I will not apologize if that hits a nerve in someone reading my post. And unlike S.D. I have yet to meet many Puerto Ricans with college degrees, Puerto Rican doctors or Puerto Rican professors. I'm almost 40 and lived my whole life in NYC. In fact pretty much every Puerto Rican I know-- including all members of my large extended family-- struggled to get a high school diploma or never graduated-- all are working horrible hours at dead end jobs. With the exception of myself, none went to college. And unfortunately many families in my barrio have no one who went on to college...why is that?

P.S. This site is open to all types of free speech-- whether it sounds stupid or not OR whether you agree with it or not IS NOT the point. Everyone gets a chance to say what they feel. I sincerely believe everyone is commenting based on their experience living in the NYC area. If Jen were to take away GUEST privilege or delete every post someone found offensive, this would not be Gothamist; this would be some sh*tty/sterile/frigid site we would not read everyday.

Tim N.

That's just the point - they are no better at tracking al Queda.

Awesome. Found it. Guest comments are now off.

Yea, it's that button at the top of the comments field that says "Hide guest comments". Nothing to investigate, just read the page.

Tim N/SD: Do you mean to tell me that I can turn off ALL guest comments? I decided to stop post much anymore (and reading much in the way of comments) because of the garbage often left on here. (While I do love this site, I could do without all the nameless bullshit that takes place on the comment section.)

I must investigate this further. This could change everything.

"...Gothamist readers are some of the most ill-informed, jingoistic, and trolling participants on the internet." Hee hee, you've obviously never participated in Wikipedia.

Wow, I actually feel *dumber* everytime I read a thread like this. With few exceptions (S.D., Dave Hogarty), it is clear that Gothamist readers are some of the most ill-informed, jingoistic, and trolling participants on the internet.

I sincerely hope that most of you don't actually live anywhere near New York.

145 Latin Kinds? 145 of the Latin variation?

Gothamist really should get rid of guest commenting and make everyone sign in. The comments here are out of control.

As much as I'd like to rip on all denominations for their shortcomings, I'm going to stay out of this one.

Though I urge the powers that be NOT to lock commenting on this post, even if most of the comments are vile and retarded.

Damn you, Rocknrope! I have to post faster. :>)

I fail to understand how the NYPD, which has an intelligence division that can track al-Qaida operatives around the world, can't tell who's a gang member by more than their shirt colors (or skin color?)

PS: To mi companiero SD: Turn off the guest comments and go from there, my friend. Anyone who won't sign a name to their comment has to have some shame over what they are saying.

"....littering, sexual harassment, and LOTS of public urination."

Kinda like the St. Patty's Day Parade?

NYPD should just stop bothering to police this thing for gang activity. If Hispanic gangs want to prey on members of their own "community" the same way that many African American gangs do, let them. If the people attending the parade would rather have gang members around than cops, so be it. Just put the cops in the park and on side streets near the parade route to make sure that wilding doesn't occur and let the Puerto Ricans police their own parade.

Of course if someone gets stabbed or a gang fight breaks out, it will still be the police's fault for being too passive. The anti-establishment set will always find a way to play the blame game. At least the latter formula won't waste as much taxpayer money.

Personally, I'd say "What else did you expect?"

But I hate all these ethnic parades. A waste of taxpayer money as far as I'm concerned. And really, look at the groups that have these parades, it's not every nation, it's only the poor nations. Why do they need to parade about? They should just be happy that they are Americans and embrace their new country instead of having pride in some other country.

I say, if they are going to have these parades then they should be held in the borough where most of the ethnic people are! Hence, Puerto Rican day parade would be in the Bronx, Polish day parade in Queens, Pakistani day parade in Brooklyn, etc. Why does Manhattan have to have all the parades? It causes too much traffic.

Don Félix Juan Serrallés, Jr. (a graduate of MIT) was the National Grand Marshall. Serrallés has been the President and CEO of Destilería Serrallés Inc. since 1981, and is the great grandson of its founder, Don Juan Serrallés. Ricky Martin was named the "King" of the parade only because the media loves celebrities. duh.

Its perfectly possible to love all people, including those of Puerto Rican persuation, and still hate the Puerto Rican Day parade.

Hell, I hate all New York parades. I wish the police would arrest a few people during the Macys Day parade, club a few tourists and arrest them for gathering or expecting people to stop what they're doing while they take a stupid picture.

"Why do Hasidics smell - is it against their religion to bathe more than once a week?" No, but updating ones wardrobe to the 21st century is contraindicated by faith. Edwardian layered undergarments and heavy coats in a New York summer will make anyone smell bad.

I was at the parade and saw vandalism, littering, sexual harassment, and LOTS of public urination. It's basically what we see at the Mardi Gras back home, except here it's just one afternoon. In New Orleans we have to put up with for 2 weeks. Get over yourselves New York.

#39- Way to go on the generalizations there. As a Nuyorican, I can tell you I most certainly do not become a Shark on PR parade day, in fact, I just avoid the whole scene all together. Ever think that maybe, just maybe, not all 2.5 million PR parade attendees are Puerto Rican. Just asking.

There were actually over 400 Latin Kings and Queens arrested for unlawful assembly. Someone keeps taking down this post and others trying to reveal the truth. They were busted for basically nothing except for wearing their colors. I was there and talked to people who would know first-hand afterwards. How you get busted for unlawful assembly at a parade is almost laughable, but unfortunately, the NYPIG has struck again, and most likely to get back at the Kings for marching in last year's parade in front of the Latino Officers' Association... by the way, the attendance in this parade has by far been the lowest in years as police wouldn't even let regular spectators in to watch. And the Deputy Commissioner put words in the parade organizer's mouths about wanting the Kings there or not. This is totally ridiculous. Nice to see the taxpayers' dollars at work...

Am I the only one getting physically sick at this line of comments?

sarah silverman . . . so dirty. so hot.

as a native new yorker I have to say that Puerto Ricans are 3 times better than blacks as a minority. I've lived in the lower east side and Puerto Ricans are awesome. This is the thing. Only during the damn Puerto Rican Parade do they turn into animals. It's like the full moon or something and it's like they turn into the sharks from west side story. I don't know why they get all obnoxious and gangish during the puerto rican parade. other than that fucking day they are great.

Oh snap #34! You were at the parade? What unlawful conduct did you witness, pray tell?

#'s 30 and 31. Fair enough, I have not read the other articles postings, but I posit that they are nongermane to this article, where there are (so far) no racist comments about PR. I feel your pain, I came here to read about the arrests and instead, I get to read about how my people have caused all the trouble in the world.

#32, you have a point there too. You want good cops? Pay them well.

calling out bad behavior is NOT racist

and there was a LOT of horrendous behaviour on Sunday

"When is Iran going to nuke Israel?" Perhaps when they manage to actually build an airplane or a bomb by themselves. The Persian's biggest technical coup since the revolution was the building of a super-cavitation torpedo, somethings the Soviets did back in the 1950s. The persians fought the Iraqis for 10 years and ended with a stalemate, the US (lack of post-war planning to the side) rolled over Saddam's troops in a matter of days. Again, pull the koran out of your pants and join us in the 21st century.

It's not that it brings out the worst in cops, it's that they are incompetent. A few years ago they stood around and did nothing while a group of guys went wild; now they randomly arrest people based on intelligence that gang members would be wearing gold and black shirts. When will we have a competent police force? Is that just too much to ask?

#27- If you look at the prior stories and postings on Gothamist re: this year's PR parade, you would know that many racist comments were made about Puerto Ricans. Look those up before you call anyone defensive.

#27, you'd need to see the other post from yesterday.

"And if you had a bunch of UWS Jews walking around in Israeli flag bikinis" Well now I'm just getting aroused. MMMmmm.... Sarah Silverman in a Shield of David 2-piece.

S.D. So far the only racist comments have been about Jews, not Puerto Ricans. Jumping the gun with the defencive rant eh?

Hey guest #23- Did 2.5 million show up at the Israel Parade? Don't think so. Think about the ratio before you put up a dumb comment.

S.D. Puerto Ricans are just the same as everyone else. There are great folks, and awful ones.

It just so happens that the PR parade seems to bring out the worst in some folks (including the Cops). Most of the comments, before they degenerated into flat-out racism, were about how awful behavior associated with the parade is. And it is awful behavior.

And if you had a bunch of UWS Jews walking around in Israeli flag bikinis with improper rolls hanging out everywhere, you'd hear from me too.

speaking of the evil jews, will someone please find out how many arrests were made at the recent salute to israel parade?

what was it? 2, maybe 3 compared to the 200 who were arrested at this weekend's annual wilding festivities?

Jen Chung on the passive-aggressive race baiting tip once again. You go girl!

I agree with No. 15. It's like another day, another way to bash Puerto Ricans. I am all for free speech, but there is no right to hate speech. Let's move on already!!!

nothing like a BS blanket statement about the jews... get your facts rights and when you do, explain to the thread how the jews have caused more mayhem?

please, enlighten us all with your infinite wisdom.

@5,8,11. Please remove the koran from your pants, put down The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (it's a tsarist forgery you know), and crack open a history book. Just which university did you attend? To #10, under NY law, any group of more than 2 people can be charged with unlawfull assembly at the officer's discretion. Whether that charge would survive an arraingment hearing is another matter. It's just one of those sneaky laws to enable police to clear the streets when there is no exigency or reasonable articulable suspicion of a crime. On the whole, it was a nice parade and it gets better every year.

S.D. :

honestly curious here..how do u feel about this parade and the people who constantly make you all look so bad...and why is the grand marhsall always a dumb celeb like j-ho...i mean i assume ur at least embarassed by this year after year...why is it tolerated??

From NY Times:

Edward McCarthy, a lawyer for the Legal Aid Society who was representing many of those arrested, said he was struck by the incongruity of people being charged with unlawful assembly at a parade.

Jen, in all respect, how long do you want keep feeding the trolls with Puerto Rican Parade related posts?

Before this, I've never been for locking comments, but this post will only continue to bring out another 50 or 60 racists comments on how we Puerto Ricans are all Drug Dealers, Drug users, Welfare cases, Drop outs, rapists, Scum of the earth, etc..

Being Puerto Rican, no member of my family has ever been any of the above. We're College Grads, doctors, professors, diplomats and more. I'm for constructive dialog, but seriously, three days of this constant racist Bullshit is getting really old.

What value is to be had by posts like this?

Kindly close it.

"132 were charged with gathering illegally"

Hmm gathering, at a parade, those charges will stick.

ustedes son racistas. ellos no hicieron nada en absoluto. echo la culpa a los oficiales racistas.

soy boricua, pa' que tu lo sepas,papa

And just what were the charges of the arrests?

Can you be arrested just for being in a gang?

What about the constituiional right of free assembly?

A rap artist would never affiliate himself with, or insinuate some connection to a gang. Never!

The crackdown is insteresting, considering that in 2006 there was some anger over the Latino Officer's [nypd] Association having to march behind the Latin Kings.

And 208 arrests out of an estimated 2.8 million participants is an arrest rate of one-hundredth of one percent, making paradegoers probably the most law-abiding population in the city's history.

"When you think about it from a historical perspective, the Jews have caused more mayhem than any other group. It's unfortunate no one has carried on the torch to fulfill the goals of the Final Solution..."

huh?

"We wonder if people wearing red (and there were a lot of them at the parade) were arrested for being Bloods. And no Crips arrests?"

What were they arrested for? charged with?

Wearing a pink shirt or wearing a yellow shirt?

So you're minding your own business and a cops goes, come with us, then you're arrested.

And this is a crime? how? Why was this "sweep" needed?

another reason why I dance and take a drink whenever a cop dies or has bad karma handed to them.

Karma works wonders. It always comes back.

cool! another thread to diss PRicans

boriqua pride babay!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crazyunclejoe/19032525/

If only it were just stereotypes....

(sigh)

Let the racist stereotype comments begin...