BOSTON – Three police officers were injured and multiple arrests were made after a fight broke out during Sunday's Dominican Festival in Boston.
Authorities said the annual event had been going on for several hours before the fight broke out, with several activities – including a beauty pageant and sporting events – taking over City Hall Plaza.
Once the fight broke out, the festival was closed down and City Hall officials revoked permits for several vendors. Police crews were called in to assist in crowd control.
Officer Rachel McGuire, a Boston Police Department spokeswoman, told the Boston Globe that all officers were expected to survive their injuries. At least six people were arrested, including four juveniles.
Luis Matos, the president of the Dominican Festival, told the Globe that more than 15,000 people attended this year’s event and he was “disappointed” that a small group of people disrupted the gathering and ruined the day for everyone else.
Due to the early cancellation, two acts that were brought in from the Dominican Republic at a considerable expense were not able to perform as scheduled.
“We feel that the festival was a success; we just hope the community realizes it was not our decision to end the festival early,” Matos said. “We tried to deliver on our promises, and next year we’ll try to do better.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.