At a time when it seems like a lot of people are rallying against SantaCon, the annual event received a thumbs up from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
"This is an event we support. It's what makes New York, New York. There has been some rowdy activity by a small handful of people," Kelly said.
This reminds me of that scene from "Jaws," where Mayor Vaughn says to a reporter, "I'm pleased and happy to repeat the news that we have, in fact, caught and killed a large predator that supposedly injured some bathers."
Anyway! Is SantaCon, which happens this year on Dec. 14, really what makes "New York, New York"?
Meanwhile, here's a SantaCon report from Friday evening on WABC.
Previously on EV Grieve:
Report: Some Midtown bars will now ban drunken SantaCon revelers (52 comments)
How was your SantaCon?
A few scenes from SantaCon 2012: Scourge of the city or good time had by all?
59 comments:
Kelly's last hurrah. Or Ho.
BYE, KELLY! Take your Stop and Frisk policy to another city. Bon Voyage.
My jaw dropped when I saw him say this on the news. It's almost as shocking as the secret Santacon organizers calling these drunks 'community orientated creative types.' Are we living in bizarro world? Even Kelly could hardly keep a straight face expelling his verbal feces.
Between stop & frisk (showing his contempt towards people of color) and lack of traffic enforcement (showing his disregard for the lives of non-drivers), I didn't think I could hate Ray Kelly more than I already do.
But boy, was I wrong. Any kind of endorsement of this event by Kelly would make me want to puke, but claiming that "this is what makes New York, New York" is just too insulting for words.
Thousands of city residents and visitors are inconvenienced, frightened or harassed during Santa CON.
It becomes larger and more unwieldy each year, more a menace, less a nuisance. (Not to mention the damage most of the participants are doing to themselves with booze and more.)
I hope that the department will have more officers on the streets of the East Village, and medics to help those participants who are obviously unable to help themselves.
Santa Con may only happen in New York (I don't know if it goes on elsewhere) . Flask wielding douchebags mobbing commuter trains from the burbs, descinding on the city, and dressed as santas, is not special. They are all trying to look the same, drink the same, and act the same, nothing unique about that either.
Bye Kelly you won't be missed. Hopefully we will get someone that will stop the unaccountable and trigger happy beast that you turned the NYPD into.
Because they are all dressed in disguises, it allows them to freely act in ways they normally wouldn't because there's no consequences. Like a burglar wearing a mask.
"These people are participants in Santacon, a yearly event where your cousin's old fraternity brothers descend on New York to ruin your quiet Saturday afternoon with loud drunken jingles. Apologies for being a total GDI, but Santacon is what you get when you combine all of the terror of Halloween's rookie drinking with early onset male pattern baldness. Throw some early morning fishbowls filled with liquor in there and you've got yourself one of the most annoying days of the year."
From Gawker. Exactly!
How can Kelly say the NYPD supports Santacon but the Midtown North Precinct is asking bars not to serve Santaconers? Which is it?
Please don't shoot or frisk me for asking.
this must be kelly's spite gift to the new mayor for the lack of respect and thanks he thinks he is entitled to and the job he did not get.
however, this "gift" is a punishment to all the residents of this city (except perhaps nyu students.
and further, it cements the perception that we are play land where anybody can come and act-out IN ANY WAY with no responsibility to others, ever.
kelly has doomed us.
The guy posting the EDITED versions of the Santacon news (don't look for any mention of the drinking or fighting) is "Stefan Spins."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drnY01eZEyA
http://stefanmakes.com
The company hosting the Sanatacon website are:
http://www.1and1.com/Contact
This could be the last of city sanctioned (un)organized drunken mobs we will see and hopefully the changes coming in the Mayor and police department will make it so. Large crowds aways have the potential to turn bad and even a small crowd of inebriated youngsters can be a disaster. This is not a big money maker for the city or the neighborhoods that get invaded so the city cannot justify it as and economic bump. The Halloween parade has tons of police on hand and that is a sober event that to my memory has never had an incident. I suggest people video the mayhem and post it online to document the event and hopefully get Santacon banned for next year. Meanwhile pray for rain, cold and snow. Woo
Okay, politician completely out of touch with what actually goes on on the street level. Big shocker.
Santa Con is a nationwide thing; check out their website.
As a matter of fact, if you go to santacon.info their front page brags of 303 locations in 41 countries, with a long list of participants. So clearly there is nothing unique about being a drunken idiot on a pub crawl that "makes New York, New York."
(Unless Ray Kelly also wants to claim "this is what makes Portland, Portland" and "this is what makes Fayetteville NC, Fayetteville NC.")
At least next year we'll be rid of one colossal moron. But sadly, Santacon will still be around.
Let's be real: SantaCon is what makes San Francisco, San Francisco. They created it and they can keep it.
(Okay, I don't honestly think it should be shut down, but I definitely don't want to be anywhere near it.)
Some time ago, when he first came on board, from what I heard from my law enforcement friends, they said the Kelly was OK, he was not an elitist, that he was a “regular” guy, a former combat service Marine who served his country in Nam, etc. blah, blah, blah. With his police state mentality (remember Bloomberg’s comment about "his" police force), padding police stats, his latest blast of De Blasio and now this, he can really go fuck himself and go on to his Wall Street head of security job with his tax dollar paid for security detail ASAP. Not sure if he was always a Bloomberg troll or he evolved into one but boy, what an A-Hole. And for those who didn’t think that there was a connection between the 1984 style police tactics against the 2004 Republican Convention protestors, against OWS, against Critical Mass and basically against any young male person of color, this blatant endorsement of white Bro entitled culture says it all. Woo indeed. From one native New Yorker to another, shame on you Ray Kelly. And tell your son a big fuck you as well. Douche.
interesting that all the 'revelers' one sees appear to be white-skinned ---
kelly should be made to reside, even for that one night, in the vicinity of santa cons activity.
WTF!!!
If Santa Con didn't happen to be an almost entirely white event, if it was instead an almost entirely black or Puerto Rican event, those words would >never< have escaped Kelly's puss.
Holy Shit Ken, I was just about to post that. Stupid WHite People RULE!!!!!
Maybe someone should set up a Facebook page called SantaCon Hall of Shame, and let everyone post pictures of all the drunk Santas, then tag the pics with their real names so everyone they are connected to will see what a bunch of drunken idiots these people really are. Maybe when they get back to the office on Monday and find out they got FaceBusted some of this behavior will change.
If we needed any more proof that a lot of the drunk Santas are also cops, Ray Kelly just provided it with his ridiculous statement. Doesn't he know this is a nationwide event? On what planet does that make this drunkfest where people are tossing their biscuits all over each other a uniquely New York event?
And speaking of biscuits, its pretty obvious now that when all these kids move to the big city that they are not at all interested in what's already here and what makes it great, not when all they seem to want to do is line up outside brand new foodie concept theme-park style restaurants. Don't they realize that places like Empire Biscuit and events like SantaCon are all run by some of the very same people they moved all the way to New York just to get away from in the first place?
This is the same administration that dissuades people from filing police reports to keep the numbers down so...
Of course. Drunken hooliganism is what makes this city great.
NYC: Come visit the world's greatest vomitorium!
- East Villager
Bloomberg and Kelly want nothing more than to rid the city of anyone with a brain, fill it with fratty children and transients, and then do whatever they want to the city. It's what they did to Stuy Town. They drove out the community and replaced it with students. Students with no roots or interest in the greater good of anything. It's a lot easier to get away with murder that way.
No matter what De Blasio does, crime is going to go "up" because his administration will actually report the crime.
Kelly hit a new low with his endorsement.
With the end of stop and frisk and his imminent firing, Kelly is motivated to see the crime rate increase.
Kelly and Bloomberg should dress up in Santa gear and join the rampage. Let's hope that kids who are doing the knockout game assaults will see Santacon as a good time to knockout some Santas.
new york? has he been to Santacon? it's all jerzey bros puking and pissing in the street.
What a crock! Did you see his face? Even HE didn't believe what he was saying! Thanks NYPD!
Never participated but I don't see what the big deal is. My reaction has been slight amusement particularly at watching a few Samtas breakdancing in Tompkins Sq Park and found almost all to be pleasant. It appears all on this site are easily offended by the sight of people having a few drinks or god forbid people not from Manhattan. And the over the top complaining makes you seem like old crotchity whiners.
- a 20+ year east villager
What you fail to realize is that KELLY IS CORRECT.
Sadly, SantaCon is what makes New York New York now.
Our once great city is now a mecca for piss-drunk fuckheads who can't wait to WOO their way through our streets and establishments.
Thanks to these selfish SantaCon douchebags and their ilk, our neighborhoods have become mirror images of their hometowns and they feel the courage and comfort to be as loud and obnoxious as they want to be without one moment of consideration for any of us who are trying to sleep or walk down the street in peace.
Thanks to all the Subways and 7-11s, they can now comfortably and undeniably call this place their home now. They have won. This is their New York now.
This isn't " New York" anymore. It's Woo York.
And Kelly just confirmed it.
Ray Kelly would be singing a different tune if the majority of Santaconmen were non-white or more specifically, mostly African American and Latino.
He is a fucking piece of shit with no regard for the bars against this dumbass pseudo-holiday moreover the safety of NYC residents. Good riddance to him!
The ONLY way to elimninate Santacon in the East Village is for ALL alcohol-selling establishments including bars and delis to refuse to sell alcohol to anyone wearing a Santa suit.
D
Save the Date on your 2014 Charity Event calendar with a not-to-be-missed only-in-New-York spectacular inaugural Holocaust Remembrance Day pub crawl (buy your Slutty Survivor costume at Rickys before supplies run out).
Ray Kelly. The “pride” of Archbishop Molloy. The Marist Brothers of Archbishop Molloy (not the Marx Brothers :)) are crying today. Molloy's motto is "Non Scholae Sed Vitae," which is Latin for "Not For School, But For Life." It should now be changed to “Fratres, me proice” which is Latin for “Bro, watch me hurl!”
@ anon 2:45
My reaction has been slight amusement too, particularly at watching a few Santas groping and attempting to rape a young woman on st mark's. the police were called, but they couldn't do anything since the only description was Santa and there were hundreds of Santas around.
It appears all on this site are easily offended by the sight of people having a few drinks and trying to rape young women.
What part of New Jersey do you live in?
"What part of New Jersey do you live in?" Ain't from Jersey, that’s an insult to Jersey, this person is from some flyover state who now thinks he's/she’s cool because he/she lives here or goes to school here. This is the major problem now, transplants, new blood, young people, etc. would come to New York to BE New Yorkers, Not anymore. Pillow fight, anyone?
2:45 - Please, you try navigating the city with this event all around, but now imagine that you have a sprain, use a walker or a cane, suffer from a concussion, have heavy packages to lug or deliver; now try walking while elderly or in anything other than a santa suit or elf costume. Next try it in the rain and/or snow.
I am neither old nor crotchety,
but have been here 30+ years and counting...a long time EV resident and volunteer.
This event could be contained (i.e. indoor dance party) and for a finite number of hours, say from 6 pm to midnight, like the dance-a-thons.
Would be better for everyone. And safer for the elves.
Wish the powers that be would consider it!
From Kelley's perspective, it is what makes NYC, NYC.
There certainly are kickbacks and payments made from bar owners to NYC and to police. This event (Santacon) generates "found" revenue, in that you normally don't make money at a bar in the morning. So if this event didn't happen, that revenue would not exist. So, to help the guys who pay the kickbacks, the police support the event.
So... you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
Since every single comment is attacking Santa I assume the publisher hates Santa?
If it's only a "handful" of people as Kelly says, why has a precinct, speaking on behalf of their community, saying the opposite?
at most one percent are committing the acts you state. you have zero credibility or ethics. There has never been one single arrest for any santacon. Not a single photo or video has every been posted of misconduct at Santacon. Santacon will forever grow, and spread to every part of the city. Hating people like you also want to ban
- Gay Pride events
- St. Pattys day
- Pub Crawls
- Halloween Parade
- New Years
- Kwanza eve
- Columbus Day
- Groundhog Day
- Flag Day
- Every fair, festival, game and concert
You don't like it that bars and delis sell alcohol to intoxicated customers? Then tell that to the NY State Liquor Authority and demand that they enforce the law against exactly that:
http://www.sla.ny.gov/contact-directory
And keep in mind that the same law exists all year round, not just for Santacon. Every establishment with a liquor license is required to refuse sale to an intoxicated individual, with penalties including fines, arrest, and loss of license.
Complaining on EVG may be cathartic but it won't change anything.
Every person who takes part in SantaCon is a complete wretched douchebag. Just accept that you are a frat boy and sorority girl at heart. Live with it. It's fine! Just don't inflict this on a city that doesn't want you despite what the lame duck police commish says.
Oh my god! So much hate! It's just people dressed as Santa. 25,000 creative people having fun. Why do you hate fun haters? I thought the East Village was full of creative types? The Santaconers are creative too! They have so many unique outfits like Santa and slutty Santa. See. Creative. So what if they drink too much and wake up in a garbage barge traveling to Staten Island. That's called fun! Look it up! If you don't like fun move to a place where only old people live like Florida or CVS!
"Not a single photo or video has every been posted of misconduct at Santacon."
From a quick Google search:
Santa Brawl
Santa Piss
Santa Passes Out
Santa Gets a Fine
Present Passed Out
Yeah, we need THOUSANDS of people doing this!
SantaCon is more naughty than nice NYPD says, warning bar owners about onslaught - NY DAILY NEWS
New York Daily News 11/22/2013 editorial.--“Ho ho ho? No no no!"An overdue end to canned Kris Kringles”--“Christmas came early this year. The NYPD is pressing bars to stop participating in an annual rite of boozing up hordes of stumbling, drunken, vomiting Santa Clauses. Scheduled for Dec. 14, SantaCon has become an event in which thousands of young people descend upon the city to drink, and drink, and then drink some more, and then to celebrate the fact that they’re still standing by having a couple more drinks. All this began innocently enough, on a lark; the official website proudly states that the confab, which raises money for charities, “happens once a year for absolutely no reason.” But you know things have gotten out of hand when the site also states: “Santa doesn’t piss on the streets, start fights, block streets, climb on cars, or deface property.” And: “Santa spreads JOY. Not terror. Not vomit. Not trash. Would you want those under YOUR tree?” Thank Lt. John Cocchi, of Midtown South, for writing a warning-shot letter to bars asking that “you do not sponsor this event in any way.” Sure enough, some New Yorkers get trashed and make fools of themselves every day. But when they do it in enormous and (semi-)organized packs, the rest of us don’t have to stand by and wipe the puke off our shoes.”
Also: “Hating people”. Sorry, I am getting a little tired of hearing this overdone cliché. It belongs with that other EV Grieve Hall Of Fame hick line, ”If you don’t’ like noise, move to___________”. Your list of moral equivalent events, just like your comment that “Not a single photo or video has ever been posted of misconduct at Santacon.” has been verified as BS. You are out of your league here. Now, go take off your pants on the subway, the date TBA.
Citibike & SantaCon: Just Defeat It!
(Sing to the tune of "Beat It" by Michael Jackson)
SantaCon you ain’t welcome around here
Get on your CitiBike and take your beer
Citibikes are shit and SantaCon is fear
Defeat it! Just defeat it!
Don’t try to run, don’t try to be a fan
Citibikes are rolling it’s a really cheap plan
Just don’t lose that bike or you’ll be paying the man
Defeat it! Just defeat it! I don’t wanna take PATH…
Just defeat it, defeat it,
Get city hall, defeat it
These new jack cornballs, they got no fight
It’s our god damn city we made it, right?
Defeat it, defeat it
Defeat it, defeat it
Defeat it, defeat it
Defeat it, defeat it
"If you don’t like, better leave while you can"
That’s what the girl said with the super fake tan
They put a bunch of bikes on 10th street, Citibike should be banned
So defeat it, just defeat it!
You have to show them you’re really not scared
SantaCon is poison, SantaCon beware
The girls will have no clothes,
You’ll really want to stare
So defeat it, defeat it! Are you getting mad?
Ukelele solo by Eden Brower
Defeat it, defeat it,
Get city hall, defeat it
The new jack cornballs, they got no fight
It’s our god damn city we made it, right?
I loathe SantaCon just as much as then next EV curmudgeon, but really now--it's just one day a year. It'll be over before you realize it. When you give it SO MUCH of your mental and emotional energy, you're letting the drunk Santas live inside your head rent-free.
So nice that everyone else has to cower at home while these people take over...and the idiocy is sanctioned.
Don't call it creativity, though. It's the opposite.
Was that why the tax payers had to pay for like 50 cops to mill around Copper Union Saturday?
@ Santa Groupie! "So what if they drink too much and wake up in a garbage barge traveling to Staten Island. That's called fun! "
Yup, that would be fun for me...if they ended up hungover on a garbage barge...
I'd also like the majority of them to win Darwin Awards. Sometime the gene pool needs a little chlorine.
Its amusing on so many levels that most people have been anti Ray Kelly and every tactic to stop crime, now all the sudden you liberals are mad because he won't stop what YOU WANT.
@10:31 Who are you calling a liberal!!!! ;=0
^10:31
WOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo!!!!
Go back to Florida, 10:31AM!
"Its amusing on so many levels that most people have been anti Ray Kelly and every tactic to stop crime, now all the sudden you liberals are mad because he won't stop what YOU WANT. "
How is this "liberal" idea?
Ray Kelly is right, Santacon is what makes New York, New York. A city full of tourists and drunk idiots that can't let go of their college life.
The organizer of this very "New York" doucheshow is a multi-millionaire or billionaire working in Wall Street and living in Greenwich but does not participate and instead commanding and watching the whole shitspectacle from his home from his various monitors and social media accounts. S/he is also donates huge amount of his/her Wall Street loot to various charities under Ray Kelly's names and pays him off, along with Stetzer and other politicians/board members and businessmen.
Find out where the organizer and Ray Kelly lives and organized a douchefest in their homes and neighborhoods and have the participants get drunk and vomit, trash, be a nuisance to their homes. See if they'll still be charitable to this "charity" douchevent.
It will be fun to play the "knockout game" with these santa-defacing frat boys.
I'm ready this year... 311, cameras and, taking a page from the Strand, buckets of cold water for the the red clad urinaters in the basement stairwell.
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