YOUR RIGHT THE NAMES DO SOUND LIKE THEY ARE FROM HAITI. BUT YOU ALSO MUST REMEMBER THAT THEY HAD OTHER FRENCH/CREOLE SPEAKING COUNTRIES. EX: ST. LUCIA.

THERES A RUMOR GOING AROUND, STATING THAT THE MAYOR WANTS TO BAN THE WEST INDIAN LABOR DAY PAPADE NEXT YEAR AND YEARS TO FOLLOW, DUE TO THE VIOLENCE IN WHICH THE PARADE CARRIES. DOES ANYONE KNOW OR HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS? IF SO LET US KNOW.

THANKS

They've been saying that for years. About 15 years ago, the parade was violent on a regular basis. Back then, it used to last until the wee hours of the morning. People just refused to go home and kept on partying. The area around Utica Avenue usually saw gun shots by around 10 or 11pm. Because of this, the parade was forced to end by 6pm. Crime went down dramatically and, except for a few unfortunate incidents a few years ago when some people got run over by a truck, every has been pretty cool for years.

So, even back then, they were threatening to end the parade. The fact is, it is the biggest parade New York City has (yes bigger than any of the parades held n 5th Avenue) and brings in a lot of revenue. It is too much of an established event to be banned.