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Puerto Rican Festival President Says Violence Is Not Associated With Event

Sunday night's violence on Rochester’s Northeast Side represents neither the Puerto Rican Festival, nor the Puerto Rican population of the city, says festival President Orlando Ortiz.

Five people were arrested in the hours following the end of the celebration.

Ortiz says it’s unfortunate that in the public thinks the violence is associated with the festival. He says people who attended the festivities give good feedback.

"'Oh my God! This is a great event, well put together, it’s safe. We had a great time.' And it’s too bad that for somebody that doesn’t come, all they see is what’s being reported in the media and that’s their perception about the Puerto Rican Festival and Puerto Ricans, or Latinos, in general," says Ortiz.

According to Ortiz, the three-day festival was a success.

Both the city and the festival committee have worked to try to prevent the mischief that sometimes follows the end of the festival.