On Saturday, thousands of demonstrators gathered in downtown Boston chanting anti-Nazi slogan in repudiation of white supremacists, foisting a group of conservative counter protesters who attempted to cut short their already planned free speech rally last week following the deadly Charlottesville rally that claimed one life and left several people injured.
According to the Atlantic, approximately 15,000 counter protesters marched through the city and gathered close to a bandstand. Conservative demonstrators had earlier converged at the same venue to deliver a series of speeches.
Later, police used vans to escort the conservative out of the venue, while angry counter protesters scuffled with law enforcement officers who tried to maintain order.
Series of demonstration
Later on, the Black Lives Matter group demonstrated on the #Boston Common and burned a Confederate flag. The protesters also destroyed a police vehicle. One person was arrested following the incident.
On Saturday afternoon, the police in Boston said protesters threw rocks, bottles, and urine at counter-demonstrators and also warned people publicly not to join them in doing so.
The conservative “Free Rally Speech” organizers had publicly distanced themselves from the white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other groups who were involved in the August 12, violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia.
32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed and several others sustained injuries when a man plowed his car into a crowd of counter-demonstrators.
A relatively peaceful rally
Opponents feared that the rally would be confrontational, raising the specter that the white nationalists might show up in Boston. But just few conservative showed up for the Boston Common rally and departed early.
Footage images showed a group of counter demonstrators in the downtown Boston area chasing a man carrying a Trump campaign cap and banner. The boisterous crowd swore and shouted at the man. However, other counter protesters intervened and took him to safety where he jumped over a fence into an area that the conservative rally was to be held.
However, Saturday’s Boston showdown was largely peaceful, and after protesters dispersed, the event turned to a picnic where stragglers played drums and reggae music. The organizers of the Boston free speech event said the rally has nothing to do with racism or the white nationalism and that their group is not in any way affiliated with the Charlottesville rally.
