Thousands March in Boston for Counter-Protest to ‘Free Speech Rally’

Tens of thousands of counter-protesters flooded the streets of Boston on Saturday, eclipsing a competing right-wing “free speech” rally in a display of solidarity after the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend.

There was virtually no violence as the two groups confronted each other on Boston’s streets.

Counter-protesters gathered near Boston’s Malcolm X Boulevard, chanting “Whose streets? Our streets!” and “No Trump, No KKK, No Fascist USA.” They also held signs that read: “Resist,” “Black Lives Matter,” and “Get the hell off my lawn, you bigots.”

The massive group of diverse demonstrators dwarfed the “Boston Free Speech Rally” in Boston Common, a downtown city park, where approximately 100 people attended.

It is estimated 40,000 people total were out for the demonstrations, officials said.

The dueling protests, on a hot and humid day, quickly evaporated after the free speech rally, which was scheduled to begin around 10 a.m. and ended at 1:30 p.m., according to the Boston Police Department.

Counter-protest attendees told NBC News they viewed the free speech rally, taking place at the same time, as code for hate speech.

“I think as a country you have a right to free speech,” said Boston resident Beth Chandler, “but there’s a difference to me with hateful speech and free speech. And a lot of what the separatists are saying is hateful speech and there’s not a place for that in our country.”

“I think there are many groups that are marginalized in our community… and I think we need to stand together and say that is not OK,” she added.

The free speech rally was organized by a coalition of self-described libertarian and conservative groups, some of whom identify with the so-called alt-right — a political grouping mixing racism, white nationalism, anti-Semitism and populism.

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