In various sections of the city, the festivities of Mardi Gras began before sunrise. Images were obtained of The North Side Skull and Bones Gang – skeleton-costumed revellers — spreading out around the Tremé region to get folks ready for Mardi Gras. When the sun rose, parade goers began to stake out their positions along the route. Barbeque aromas filled the Central Business District.
The violence that interrupted a glamorous weekend parade did not dissuade revellers. A teenager was killed and four others were injured when gunfire erupted during a procession on Sunday night, including a four-year-old kid. Mansour Mbodj, 21, was caught promptly for unlawfully carrying a firearm, and the accusation was then increased to second-degree murder.
Authorities emphasised on Monday that the shooting was a unique incident.
“It’s disheartening, but it’s not going to deter me from attending,” Roz Walker, 55, said. She and her companion Tracy Dunbar are Baton Rouge locals who were among the crowds watching the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club and the Rex Organization parades. They’ve been coming to New Orleans for Mardi Gras for decades.
“In our 40 years of coming to Mardi Gras, we’ve never been involved in any kind of issue,” she remarked. Ken Traylor of Houston, a first-time Mardi Gras attendee, had heard about the shooting but dismissed it. “I simply think you have to be aware of your surroundings,” he explained. “Things happen everywhere nowadays.”
Dissatisfaction with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been exacerbated by crime. She was comfortably re-elected in 2021, but has since faced a slew of political issues, including complaints over crime, the sluggish pace of major roadway repairs, and accusations regarding her personal usage of a city-owned French Quarter property.
A recall petition that was started last year is approaching its deadline on Wednesday. Eileen Carter, one of the organisers, stated that she hopes the initiative will succeed.
“We’ll have folks canvassing the parade routes,” Carter explained. “It has been really beneficial to us.”
Cantrell observed St. Charles Boulevard parades with city council members from a limited access reviewing platform in front of Gallier Hall, the 19th century Greek Revival style edifice that originally functioned as City Hall. She welcomed leaders with rousing cries of “Hail Zulu!” and “Hail Rex!”, both of which are customary mayoral honours.
It was in sharp contrast to a weekend incident in which Cantrell was seen on tape gesticulating with her middle finger as a march past a city reviewing stand. It was unknown what prompted the gesture. A request for response from the mayor’s press office was not returned.
It was in sharp contrast to a weekend incident in which Cantrell was seen on tape gesticulating with her middle finger as a march past a city reviewing stand. It was unknown what prompted the gesture. The mayor’s press office did not reply to an Associated Press request for comment. A statement provided to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate provided little information.
“Mardi Gras is a time when satire and joke are on full show,” said Gregory Joseph, a representative for the organisation. “The city has been enjoying a safe and healthy Carnival,” the statement stated, adding that the mayor was looking forward to the celebration continuing.
It was a never-ending costume party through French Quarter streets, where carnival revellers usually congregate for a more sinister experience. The outfits ranged from tiny underwear to complete nun’s garb. Sequins glistened on several of the garments. Some alluded to actual times. Some even alluded to contemporary events.
Jerome FitzGibbons strode Chartres Street with a big white sphere affixed to the top of his head, wearing a false nose, moustache, and glasses and carrying binoculars – he was a Chinese spy balloon. He and his identically dressed wife, Jennifer, relocated from New Jersey to New Orleans.
“This is our type of insanity,” she explained. Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, marks the end of Carnival season, which officially begins each year on January 6, the 12th day after Christmas.
The rowdy celebration in New Orleans is the most well-known in the country, but the event is also observed throughout most of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Mobile, Alabama, is home to the country’s oldest Mardi Gras festival.