Some Mummers violated Philadelphia rules that overturned the annual New Year’s Eve parade and yet took to the streets on Friday, many without masks intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
At least two groups of Mummers, who numbered a couple of hundred people, marched through southern Philadelphia on Friday morning, dressed in their typical colorful clothes, dancing and singing as they advanced. Some showed signs of denying Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, who in July last year canceled the parade and some other important events to curb COVID-19 infections.
Cancellations were made in accordance with public health recommendations to limit large gatherings, which are known to transmit the deadly disease.
On social media, some other Mummers asked their counterparts to respect the cancellation of the parade, but that didn’t stop a handful of them from breaking the rules. One of the challenging Mummers had a sign on it that said, “Tradition, not tyranny.”
Philadelphia Police Department officers monitored the marchers from afar, but did not attempt to disperse the crowds.
“… The city’s policy is to avoid unnecessary confrontations in enforcing its COVID-19 emergency orders,” a city spokeswoman told NBC10.
Among the protesters on Friday were some people wearing masks, but most were not. Masks, along with social distancing and other public health measures, have become an important tool in combating COVID-19.
They were ordered not to do so, but a group of maskless Mummers took to 2nd Street anyway on New Year’s Day. Some said they protected a Philadelphia tradition; others said they were protesting the closure of Mayor Kenney’s public events. As reported by Stephania Jimenez of NBC10.
Asked about the lack of masks, a Mummer told NBC10, “You don’t need a mask because it’s not real.”
The coronavirus, however, is very real and very deadly.
It had killed about 347,000 people in the U.S. since Friday, according to NBC News’ COVID-19 tracker. Although the Food and Drug Administration has approved two vaccines, the country will take months to inoculate enough people to beat the virus, and experts urge continued caution, especially as a new, more contagious variant emerges. of the virus.
The city spokeswoman reminded people that those who gather in large numbers, regardless of the type of event, should be rehearsed five or seven days later, stay away from others for 10 days, and continue to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days.
The Mummers Parade has ushered in the new year in Philadelphia for more than a century. However, in recent years, the Mummers have had trouble getting a bad reputation caused by the repeated racist and insensitive behavior of some members.
Last year, a group of Mummers were kicked out of the parade because at least one member marched down South Broad Street with a black face. In 2016, one group of Mummers mocked Caitlyn Jenner while another painted her face brown and dressed in ponchos and hats, or as tacos.
Repeated offensive acts led Kenney last year to urge Mummers leaders to provide better oversight or risk the city gaining support for the parade. Last year, Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier said the Mummers parade should be revised and replaced with a new tradition that celebrates the cultures of the people of the city.