The Canadians are coming! The Canadians are coming!

Miami Beach residents making final preps for Memorial Day Weekend 2012.

Here are some recent Memorial Day related quotes and a few from years past....
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"But a different future body-slammed South Beach this past Memorial Day weekend. Namely that big black phenomenon known as hip-hop, which descended in an adrenalized surge. An estimated quarter-million revelers swamped hotels and restaurants, spilling into the streets in a bling-bling parade of ice, Lincoln Navigators, and Motorola two-way pagers, taking everyone by surprise. It all begs the question: Is South Beach ready to be thug paradise?" -Tristram Korten, writing in Miami New Times following the first Memorial Day Weekend in 2001

"Some Miami Beach police officers...decided to substitute the word 'Canadian' for 'black' in radio transmissions, as in, 'There's a large group of Canadians gathered on Washington and 14th.' " -Tristram Korten, Miami New Times, June 7, 2001

"We are a city that is being advertised as party 'til you puke, come to South Beach." -retired lawyer and activist Frank Del Vecchio (2010)

"I would not want anyone that I know, a friend or visitor, to be outside on South Beach after 11 p.m. on this weekend because it is dangerous despite what seem[s] like thousands of police officers at every corner." -Miami Beach Commissioner Ed Tobin (2011)

"What we have done for you on the Venetian Islands is very unique. You guys will notice that you can move around....but tourists will be given the impression that they can’t get in." -Miami Beach Police Capt. Henry Doce (2012)

"I call it thugs paradise, that's what you are going to have." -Rapper Luther Campbell (2012)

"I sat through the briefings and I heard the same conversations that were going on and nobody mentioned anything about a quota. What was mentioned was the fact that we'd be enforcing the most minor infractions and that this might bring our numbers higher than the year we made a thousand arrests." -Miami Beach police Sgt. Bobby Hernandez (2012)

"What will happen, I don’t know. Hopefully everything will be fine." -Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower (2012)