#Party rages at unofficial J’Ouvert festivities in Brooklyn

The party raged on early Monday at unofficial J’Ouvert festivities — with dozens gathering in central Brooklyn despite the cancellation of the sanctioned pre-dawn jamboree for a second consecutive year amid the pandemic.

By about 3 a.m., a crowd of about 150 revelers marched on Flatbush Avenue and Eastern Parkway. 

At Clarkson Avenue and East 53rd Street in East Flatbush, people congregated and danced in the sidewalks and streets, next to a white trailer. Some rang bells, as others could be seen waving the red, yellow and green flag of Grenada. 

NYPD cops, many wearing blue Community Affairs polos, assembled in the streets and police cruisers could be seen patrolling the area. 

Yvette Rennie, president of J’ouvert City International, explained last week that she opted not to hold the costumed celebration this year to avoid potentially contributing to the spread of COVID-19 in the five boroughs. 

“The cons have overweight the pros,” she said during the mayor’s daily press briefing.

“We look at the bigger picture of the health and safety of our people,” Rennie added. “We are saddened that we are going to cancel another year.”

No shootings or arrests were immediately reported at this year’s festivities — which were often marred by violence in previous years. 

Last year, five people were shot — including a 6-year-old boy — during an outdoor J’Ouvert celebration at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and Crown Street in Crown Heights.