Police: One SantaCon reveler arrested during Manhattan pub crawl
A man plays a saxophon as a crowd of people dressed as Santa participate in the annual SantaCon pub crawl on December 9, 2017, in New York. SantaCon is an annual pub crawl in which people dressed in Santa Claus costumes or as other Christmas characters parade in several cities around the world. Credit: AFP/Getty Images / KENA BETANCUR
Hundreds of sloshed Santas took to the streets of Manhattan on Saturday for the annual bar crawl known as SantaCon.
Revelers dressed in red Santa outfits and other holiday-themed costumes packed bars throughout the Flatiron district, midtown and East Village.
The presence of extra police officers and imposition of a 24-hour alcohol ban on Long Island Rail Road trains were aimed at curbing rowdy behavior during the event, officials said.
The ban was extended to Metro-North trains from noon Saturday through noon Sunday, and Metropolitan Transportation Authority police enforced the restriction at Penn Station, Grand Central Terminal and other transit stations throughout the area.
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office took to Twitter to remind participants to “Be nice, not naughty, during your time in NYC. The NYPD has sleighs too.”
The NYPD’s Ninth Precinct tweeted that they were out in full force and reminded partyers to keep the noise down, have a designated driver and avoid carrying open containers of alcohol on the streets, which is prohibited.
SantaCon organizers on Friday advised participants not to “mess with the cops, kids, property or staff members” at bars.
Despite the warning, one man was arrested near a bar on West 36th Street on Saturday after he got into a fight with a bouncer and bartender, police said.
The unidentified 24-year-old man resisted arrest and caused a wrist injury to an officer but was eventually taken into custody, police said.
He was charged with assault, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration, police said. Further details were not immediately available.
