Boston city officials have increased security measures for the city’s St Patrick’s Day parade, expected to draw one million spectators, amid the ongoing Iran war and an alleged terror attack in New York City. The parade route has been reversed this year to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States and Evacuation Day.
Mayor Michelle Wu stated there is no credible threat to the event, but city councillor Ed Flynn emphasised the need for preparedness. “Intelligence gathering is a critical part of public safety and we have to be prepared. We have to acknowledge we live in a dangerous world,” he told Boston25, adding that incidents in New York have a direct relationship with Boston.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force will oversee Sunday’s parade, according to retired Boston police chief Dan Linskey. The city remains wary following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, in which three people were killed and hundreds injured by pressure-cooker bombs detonated by the Tsarnaev brothers.
This year’s parade route is being walked in reverse to symbolically “rewind” the moment being celebrated, organisers said. The change coincides with Evacuation Day, which falls on March 17, the same day as St Patrick’s Day.
The heightened security comes after two teenagers, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, were charged in New York City with using a weapon of mass destruction and providing material support to Islamic State. Balat reportedly told investigators he wanted an attack “even bigger” than the Boston Marathon bombing. The incident has heightened concerns amid the Iran war, with US intelligence intercepting encrypted communications suggesting Iran may have activated potential “sleeper assets” globally.
