Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 20 March 2017

Revelers high-spirited at Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade

TRACEE M. HERBAUGH lowed the headlines on
Associated Press the OutVets dispute, but it
BOSTON (AP) — Tens of wouldn’t have prevented
thousands of people lined him from taking part in the
the frigid streets of Boston festivities on his first trip to
on Sunday for the city’s Boston.
St. Patrick’s Day parade, “I want everybody to be
which went off amid high included, but I also want-
spirits and without a hitch ed to see this parade,” he
after a dispute over wheth- said.Others spectators, in-
er a gay veterans group cluding Kendal and Alexa
could march. Smith, 17-year-old twins
There was no shortage of from East Bridgewater,
green clothing, shamrock Massachusetts, had not
headbands and booze heard of the dispute. Both
during the annual parade girls, dressed in green from
in South Boston. Some pa- head to toe, took the train
rade-goers said they would into the city for their first St.
have attended no matter Patrick’s Day parade.
the outcome of the dispute “We always heard about
over the OutVets gay vet- this parade,” Alexa Smith
erans group. said. “Our grandmother
The parade’s organizers, is from Ireland. We usually
Spectators cheer during the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in Boston, Sunday, March 19, 2017. the South Boston Allied War celebrate Saint Patrick’s
Tens of thousands of people lined the streets for the parade which went off amid high spirits and Council, initially had voted Day with family, decorate
without a hitch after a dispute over whether a gay veterans group could march. against allowing marchers the house.”The parade has
(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
from OutVets, a group rep- long been embroiled in le-
resenting LGBTQ veterans. gal controversy, including
But organizers reversed the a 1995 U.S. Supreme Court
decision earlier this month ruling allowing the South
after the stance drew Boston Allied War Veter-
backlash. ans Council to exclude
John Racker, of Wilming- gay groups on free speech
ton, Delaware, said he fol- grounds.q
Federal Judge rejects US request
to clarify order halting travel ban

HONOLULU (AP) — A fed- gious animus” behind the
eral judge on Sunday re- travel ban.Two days later,
jected the U.S. govern- the Justice Department
ment’s request to clarify his asked Watson to clarify
temporary order blocking that the order only applied
President Donald Trump’s to the ban on travel from
revised travel ban. six mostly Muslim countries
U.S. District Judge Derrick and not a global freeze on
Watson said nothing was refugees entering the Unit-
unclear about his order ed States.
and the government can’t Watson asked federal offi-
ask for a distinction that of- cials and Hawaii on Sunday
ficials failed to make in ear- how they want to proceed
lier briefs and arguments, regarding a possible exten-
according to online court sion of his order.Trump has
records. called the Hawaii ruling
Watson issued the tem- an example of “unprece-
porary restraining order dented judicial overreach”
Wednesday in response to and has indicated it will
a lawsuit from the state of be appealed.Similar cases
Hawaii, concluding there are being heard in federal
was “significant and un- courts in Washington state
rebutted evidence of reli- and Maryland. q