Boston Marathon ‘Potential Disruption’ Investigates Police – KIRO 7 Seattle News

BOSTON – The Boston Marathon returns for the first time in 900 days on Monday, and authorities are investigating a planned “disruption” to the venerable race as it coincides with Indigenous Peoples Day.

>> Read more trending news

“We have received unsubstantiated information indicating that individuals may attempt to disrupt the 2021 Boston Marathon through non-violent direct action in support of concerns of Indigenous peoples,” according to a statement from the Joint Situational Awareness Bulletin. “The 2021 Boston Marathon is on Indigenous Peoples Day and some believe the marathon organizers haven’t taken enough action to recognize the holiday or Indigenous communities. “

This week, Boston Mayor Kim Janey signed an executive order replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, WFXT reported.

The marathon was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The race, traditionally held on Patriots’ Day in April, has been moved to fall this year after a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, according to The Washington Post.

The Boston Athletic Association said Monday it would honor the legacy of Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, a member of the Narragansett tribe from Rhode Island who won the race in 1936 and 1939, according to The Associated Press.

The Red Sox traditionally have a game at Fenway Park on race day, and it will happen again this year as Boston plays host to the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.

The law enforcement notice, released Friday by the Boston Regional Intelligence Center of the Boston Police Department and the Commonwealth Fusion Center of the Massachusetts State Police Department, indicates that the protest would likely involve the tactics of ” sleeping dragon ”on the marathon course, WFXT reported.

“This tactic usually involves a group of individuals chained and / or handcuffed together through a length of pipe, preventing law enforcement from simply using bolt cutters to break the chains,” the bulletin said. . “There are many variations, including covering the pipe with hard-to-cut material and / or running the PVC pipe through a barrel filled with concrete so that authorities have to break up the concrete before cutting the pipe. “

Due to the pandemic, this year’s scope will be limited to 20,000 runners, the To post reported. It will be the smallest field in the race since at least 2005.

With an indoor mask warrant in Boston, race organizers ordered 200,000 face covers for staff members and volunteers, according to the PA.

The Boston Athletic Association apologized in August for scheduling the marathon on the same day as Indigenous Peoples Day, WFXT reported.

“In choosing the fall date for the Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association did not want in any way to take away Indigenous Peoples Day or celebrations for the Indigenous and Native American community,” the association said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to all Indigenous Peoples who felt ignored or feared that the significance of Indigenous Peoples Day was being erased. We are sorry.”

© 2021 Cox Media Group