Brockton officials are taking action and issuing a warning after they say a sporting event in a city park over the weekend turned into a massive party.
The event at a playground on Ash Street was permitted by the city for 30 people, but officials say more than 300 showed up.
Attendees say it started as a soccer event, but a larger volleyball tournament took over soon after and that is when the park got crowded.
“Everybody was right next to eachother and it wasn’t enough distance like the 6 feet recommendation,” attendee Alfonso Cruz said.
Neighbors said hardly anyone was social distancing and many were drinking, which is prompting Brockton’s mayor to speak out about the gatherings he says are unacceptable.
“I have asked Brockton police to break these up, no question,” Mayor Robert Sullivan said. “We have not gone as far as to issue fines yet, and I say yet because I won’t hesitate to do that, but we are not a wealthy community.”
Coronavirus in Massachusetts
Brockton schools are already starting fully remote now that the city is in the yellow “moderate risk” category for coronavirus cases. Sullivan said that, if these gatherings keep happening, the city could be in the red soon.
“It’s concerning. It’s frustrating and it’s quite scary honestly,” Sullivan said.
After what happened over the weekend, the city of Brockton has stopped issuing permits for events. The mayor said they may also bring back the pandemic curfew if people do not start following the rules.
