‘We can’t be defeated’: Hundreds gather in Concert Square on St Patrick’s Day

Hundreds of students celebrated St Patrick’s Day in Concert Square last night, despite government advice to avoid clubs and bars due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the venues in Concert Square stayed open, with only Electrik cancelling their St Patrick’s Day event.

After UoL and LJMU cancelled classes for the rest of the year and semester, respectively, it was anticipated there wouldn’t be a very high student turnout for the celebrations.

One student posted a picture of an empty Concert Square on Smithdown Ticket Exchange yesterday day time, asking “where are all the students?!?!”

They added: “We can’t let Paddy’s Day be defeated like this… Get yourself down to Concert Square don’t be boring.”

However, by the end of the day hundreds of students headed to the square to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in the face of the ongoing pandemic.

We spoke to the student who posted the original picture, and they told The Liverpool Tab: “The reason I went out was because it’s such a big day in Liverpool.

“It’s probably one of the last occasions that I will be able to go out and celebrate with all my uni friends since uni has finished for 2020 and graduation is cancelled.

“I totally understand people having different views about going out and I respect that.”

Given the recent government advice on social distancing, some students chose to stay in.

Cormac decided to avoid going out, and told The Liverpool Tab: “I don’t think students understand the implication of large social gatherings – the public health advice to avoid them is to slow the rate of infection through the population.

“I don’t totally blame students for this, as I don’t think the government has been clear or decisive enough, and for an effective response they really should have shut bars and covered the financial costs to stop job losses.

“But I also think some students have an ‘I’m alright jack’ attitude as they know they won’t be that ill themselves.

“I am actually now isolating as I have the symptoms but I don’t feel too bad. I know if I go and visit my grandma she could die from it, and my dad died of a respiratory infection in intensive care, and as a Nursing student I know lots of people who will be making tough decisions.”

There is yet to be a ban on going out to places like bars and clubs in the UK, but the current government advice is to avoid large crowds and leaving your home unless it is essential to do so. If you or anyone you’ve come into contact with has symptoms, you should self-isolate for 14 days.

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