St. Clair County Democratic Party pulls out of Boat Week parade over gun violence concerns
Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated an incorrect start time for the Rotary International Day Parade.
The St. Clair County Democratic Party announced Tuesday it will not participate in next week's Rotary International Day Parade following several mass shooting events around the country.
Party chair Jim Frank said although they had already submitted registration to participate, the decision to pull out of the parade was made both due to safety concerns over the possibility of gun violence and as a form of protest against a perceived failure of representatives to stop gun violence.
"We’re not going to participate in events like this as a sign of showing that the current status quo has created a country where the security of peaceful action by civilians can’t be guaranteed," Frank said.
The parade is set to start at 6:30 p.m. July 13, and runs along Huron Avenue in downtown Port Huron. The annual parade kicks off Port Huron's Boat Week, which begins with the parade and ends with the Bayview Port Huron-to-Mackinac Sailboat Race the following Saturday.
Frank referenced the 4th of July shooting in Highland Park, an affluent Illinois suburb north of Chicago, that left seven dead and more than 30 wounded. A suspect fired into the crowd gathered for a parade about 10:14 a.m. Monday. A rifle was recovered from the scene.
The shooting, and several other shootings last weekend and in recent weeks, shows that the public is not able to gather without fear of a mass shooting, prompting safety concerns for participation in the parade, Frank said.
Frank said the party will use the money saved from not participating in the parade to educate people about sensible gun laws and voting. Frank said national representatives should reconsider what the Second Amendment, which grants the right to bear arms, really means.
"The people who participated in the writing of those amendments and ratification of those amendments, they could not see 230 years into the future, and imagine weapons that we have today that can kill six people, wound 40 people in just a matter of minutes," Frank said.
Frank called on representatives on a national level to restrict access to assault weapons. He said assault weapons endanger the public and police, who cannot react quickly enough to stop violence when hundreds of rounds can be shot in minutes.
Safety at the Rotary International Day Parade
Port Huron Police Assistant Chief Marcy Kuehn said to ensure the public's safety, the whole department is mobilized so the maximum number of officers are able to work events during Boat Week.
The department also brings in federal, state and local law enforcement partners to bolster its numbers, and uses police volunteers and cadets to be an extra set of eyes and ears on the parade route, Kuehn said.
The department also reviews mass casualty events when they happen and adjust their training and tactics accordingly, she said.
"As suspects tactics change throughout time, we adapt our strategies to prevent a similar tragedy from happening here," Kuehn said.
Port Huron Rotary Club spokesperson Keely Baribeau said no other parade participants have expressed concern, nor have parade organizers received any threats.
"As in previous years, we have worked with local and regional authorities who develop a security plan for the parade," Baribeau said. "We believe it will be a safe and fun event for local families."
To find more details or to register to participate in the parade, visit paradeday.net/default.htm or go to the Port Huron Rotary's Facebook page at PortHuronRotary. The deadline to register for the parade is Monday.
Contact Laura Fitzgerald at (810) 941-7072 or lfitzgeral@gannett.com. USAToday contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: St. Clair County Democratic Party pulls out of Boat Week parade over gun violence concerns
