Saint Patrick's Peace Parade In Boston On March 16th
Veterans For
Peace
For Immediate
Release
Attached: Press
Release, Parade Flyer, Open Letter to Residents of Boston
CARLOS ARREDONDO – GRAND MARSHAL
OF
SAINT PATRICK’S PEACE
PARADE
Boston, Mass. – March 3, 2014 – Carlos
Arredondo and his wife Melida will be the Grand Marshalls for the Saint Patrick
Peace Parade, the alternative parade, in South Boston on Sunday, March 16.
Carlos is well known as one of the heroes of the Boston Marathon bombing. He was
captured in a now famous AP photo wearing his white cowboy hat as he rushed
bombing victim Jeff Bauman to a waiting ambulance. Carlos and
Melida have been long time members of Veterans For Peace, having joined the
organization shortly after Carlos’ son Alex was killed in Najaf Iraq by a sniper
in 2004. Their only other son Brian, who never recovered from the loss of his
beloved big brother, committed suicide in 2011 at age 24. Carlos and Melida have
committed themselves to helping veterans families and working for peace as
members of the Boston chapter of Veterans For Peace.
Carlos is honored to be the Grand
Marshall of the Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade with his wife Melida. “Boston
Strong means all of us uniting together whether at a tragedy or against bigotry
and exclusion, or the need for peace”, stated Carlos. “There is a lot of
controversy surrounding these parades,” Carlos said. “We should all come
together, combine the two parades into one big parade and allow everyone,
straight, gay, peace, old and young to all participate together celebrating
Saint Patrick.”
Melida Arrendondo, Carlo’s wife, also a
Grand Marshall of the parade added, “After this year where a
bombing took place in Boston, inclusion of the LGBT community and Veterans For
Peace is an important part of keeping Boston Strong.” “We are a diverse
community,” added Melida, “and we should be proud to march together as one. Our
diversity is what makes us different and is our strength as a city and a
nation.”
Veterans For Peace will once again march
one mile behind the traditional parade. There are eight separate divisions in
the Peace Parade, each division is essentially their own parade with very
distinct messages. The eight division are: Veterans For Peace, Peace, Religious,
LGBT, Environmental Stewardship, Political, Labor, Social and Economic Justice.
Last year the parade had six bands, floats, vehicles, Bread and Puppet Theatre
and 2,500 participants.
“Some have called the Saint Patrick’s
Peace Parade a protest parade,” said Pat Scanlon, Coordinator of Veterans For
Peace and the lead organizer for the Peace Parade. “It is not! It is an
alternative parade brought about because of the discriminatory and
exclusionary practices of the organizers of the first parade.” Some people refer
to the second parade as the gay parade. Scanlon emphasizes, “It is a Peace
Parade, in fact the only Peace Parade in the entire country. Our parade is
welcoming and inclusive. The LGBT community is free to celebrate who they are as
people and as gay members of our community. There is an LGBT Division where all
are welcome to carry rainbow flags, signs, and banners and wear T-shirts with
such messages as “I’m Irish, Gay and Proud”.
The parade organizers invite individuals
and groups to join their parade. “People and groups are welcome to come and join
one of the eight divisions,” added Scanlon. The Saint Patrick’s Peace Parade
will assemble at 1:00 pm on D Street, just off West Broadway in South Boston.
Look for the black and white Veterans For Peace Flags. Erin Go
Bragh.
Web: smedleyvfp.org Twitter: @smedleyVFP
Facebook: facebook.com/smedleyvfp
####
Note: Forming Up At 1 PM For A 2 PM Step-Off
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