Hoboken St. Patricks Day Parade Canceled After Moving To Weekday

Organizers for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Hoboken have decided to cancel festivities this year, citing what they called the city's "insulting" decision to move the event to a weekday.

The committee announced their "heartbreaking" cancellation for what would have been the 26th year for the event:

After a long, arduous and sad meeting, the committee has decided to cancel the 2012 Hoboken St. Patrick's Parade. The City of Hoboken's inability to protect our spectators, bands and participants led us to this heartbreaking decision. The parade committee is proud of its traditions and the countless Hobokenites...We are forever indebted to our long-time sponsors, neighbors and friends who came out to enjoy the day each year.

The decision to move the annual event, notorious for its drunken revelry and stumbling crowds, follows Mayor Dawn Zimmer's effort to "reduce the amount of partying that occurs" after 2011's parade raked in 34 arrests and nearly 300 citations, with multiple women claiming they had been sexually assaulted.

The New York Times spoke to one employee who works at a liquor store on the city's main street, who said she takes her children out of town each year just to avoid the mess, "I took my daughters to Edgewater, to the mall, and spent all day, just to kill time."

Hoboken residents and fans of the parade have taken to Twitter to voice their outrage, vowing for the cavalcade to take place regardless of the formal cancellation.

One user alluded to the film "Braveheart" and announced, "They can take our parade, but they can't take our drinking FREEDOM!" @EatDrinkHoboken declared, "Hoboken St. Patty's Day WILL GO ON With or Without The Parade!"

Only time will tell if the bridge-and-tunnel crowd will resume their annual public urination festival this year. Never been? We provide some clips below.

Here, we have our classic keg roll:

Sophisticated girls get into a scuffle on the train: