Boston: Tens of Thousands Turn Out Against Far-Right ‘Free Speech’ Rally

Boston, MA – On Saturday, August 19, thousands of Boston-area residents converged on Boston Common to show that a far-right “free speech” rally billed to include white supremacist and neo-Nazi speakers was not welcome in the city.

In a major show of unity, the diverse crowd representing many neighborhoods in this highly segregated northeastern city made it clear that white supremacy and racist messages were not acceptable.

Unicorn Riot has photos from the counter-protest and livestreams from the hours after the event. Unicorn Riot’s live feed for this event is here:

The far-right crowd of roughly 40 to 50 participants was hustled onto police wagons near the Public Garden then routed along Tremont St., through Chinatown and according to several sources, South Station, which is a major regional bus and rail terminal.

One Unicorn Riot reporter was attacked after 2PM by a far-right man on the Livestream, without suffering damage.

Large groups circulated throughout Beacon Hill and Tremont Street. Near the Boylston Street MBTA Green Line station at Tremont and Boylston, police used mace and force to push crowds of counter-protesters. Police made several violent arrests downtown as they tried to forcefully disperse antifascists who had followed some of the far-right/fascist rally attendees, who police were providing security for, into area businesses.

As of 5PM EDT thousands of people are still around the Boston Common area, and despite occasional trolls trying to rile up crowds, overall there is virtually no openly far-right presence to be seen.

DigBoston.com and the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism released in-depth reports and coverage from the earlier leg of the march that started in Roxbury.


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