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Protesters Interrupt Columbus Day Parade Over Jail Concerns

Columbus
www.italic.org
Christopher Columbus

Several people were taken into police custody after about two dozen demonstrators briefly interrupted a Columbus Day parade in upstate New York to protest jail conditions.

The protesters linked hands to block the street as Binghamton's 60th annual Columbus Day Tournament of Bands and Italian Festival began Monday morning. They dispersed after several minutes and the parade continued.

Police say disorderly conduct charges were expected to be filed against several protesters.

The group Progressive Leaders of Tomorrow said the goal was to draw attention to treatment of inmates at the Broome County Jail.

Mayor Rich David said everyone has the right to protest, but he called it "despicable and disgusting" to disrupt an event honoring Italian heritage.

© 2019 AP

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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