Police investigating ‘potential disruption’ of Boston Marathon

BOSTON — The Boston Marathon returns for the first time in 900 days on Monday, and authorities are investigating a planned “disruption” to the venerable race because it coincides with Indigenous Peoples Day.

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“We have received uncorroborated intelligence indicating that people may attempt to disrupt the 2021 Boston Marathon with nonviolent direct action in support of Indigenous Peoples’ concerns,” according to a statement from the Joint Situational Awareness Bulletin. “The 2021 Boston Marathon is being held on Indigenous Peoples’ day and some believe that marathon organizers have not taken enough steps to recognize the holiday or indigenous communities.”

This week, Boston Mayor Kim Janey signed an executive order replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, WFXT reported.

The marathon was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The race, traditionally run on Patriots’ Day in April, was moved to the fall this year after a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, according to The Washington Post.

The Boston Athletic Association said Monday it will honor the legacy of Ellison “Tarzan” Brown, a member of Rhode Island’s Narragansett tribe who won the race in 1936 and 1939, according to The Associated Press.

The Red Sox traditionally have a game at Fenway Park on race day, and that will happen again this year since Boston will host the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.

The law enforcement advisory, issued Friday by Boston Police Department’s Boston Regional Intelligence Center and the Massachusetts State Police Department’s Commonwealth Fusion Center, states that the protest would likely involve the “sleeping dragon” tactic on the marathon course, WFXT reported.

“This tactic typically consists of a group of individuals chained and/or handcuffed together through a length of pipe, which prevents law enforcement from simply using bolt cutters to break the chains,” the bulletin states. “There are numerous variations including covering the pipe with difficult to cut materials and/or putting the PVC pipe through a barrel filled with concrete so that authorities must break the concrete before cutting the pipe.”

Because of the pandemic, this year’s field will be limited to 20,000 runners, the Post reported. It will be the smallest field for the race since at least 2005.

With an indoor mask mandate in Boston, race organizers have ordered 200,000 face coverings for staff members and volunteers, according to the AP.

The Boston Athletic Association apologized in August for scheduling the marathon on the same day as Indigenous Peoples Day, WFXT reported.

“In selecting the fall date for the Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic Association in no way wanted to take away from Indigenous Peoples’ Day or celebrations for the Indigenous and Native American Community,” the nonprofit said in a statement. “We extend our sincere apologies to all Indigenous people who have felt unheard or feared the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day would be erased. We are sorry.”

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