Calls heat up for Nyx to have parade permit revoked
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The Krewe of Nyx rolled Wednesday in New Orleans with relatively light crowds. Photo: Erika Goldring/Getty Images
Calls to pull the Krewe of Nyx's Mardi Gras permit reignited on social media Wednesday night, alongside photos of a less-crowded-than-usual parade route.
Why it matters: The krewe occupies a high-profile nighttime spot on the parade schedule, which means if it gets booted, it leaves room for another krewe to shift into a coveted role as Mardi Gras headliner.
Catch up quick: Nyx was founded in 2011, the first krewe in over a decade to receive a new permit to parade at night, according to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune.
- In short order, Nyx grew to super-krewe status with over 3,000 members and 44 floats, despite accusations of financial mismanagement in 2017.
- But in 2020, as the nation reeled after the murder of George Floyd, krewe founder Julie Lea came under fire for a social media post featuring an image with the hashtag #AllLivesMatter. Lea apologized for the post, but hundreds of krewe-members abandoned ship.
- Then, the next year, Lea landed in hot water again when she was accused of mismanaging krewe funds in a civil lawsuit.
On Wednesday night, photos posted to social media showed the parade route with thin crowds.
- One user on X called Nyx "a waste of city resources."
- And another user called on City Councilman JP Morrell to pull the parade's permit, posting a screenshot of city code requirements on ratios of bands to Mardi Gras floats.
- "Nyx had 16 floats which means they needed 7 marching bands," wrote @daddioonthepatio. "They had 5."
The intrigue: City code doesn't spell out exactly how a parade permit would be revoked, but City Hall sources say a krewe could be issued a citation for any violation, such as not having enough bands.
- Procedurally, the only krewes that can request and receive an annual parade permit are listed in the City Code.
- But if a krewe receives a citation, that would provide grounds for City Council to pass another ordinance and update the schedule of approved krewes.
Morrell declined to comment Thursday on any specific parade, but in his own social media post, he highlighted a recent Carnival code ordinance change that calls for an annual review of the holiday to identify possible "legislative improvements."
- The 2024 review is set for April 10.
- "It is important that Mardi Gras, as an annual event, both shows a return on those tax dollars and resources spent, as well as not overly inconveniencing citizens as they go about their lives during their Mardi Gras season," Morrell posted.
Worth noting: The Krewe of Nyx did not respond to a call or an email requesting comment.