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Anti-Racist Protesters Drowned Out A Controversial "Free Speech" Rally In Boston

27 counter-protesters were arrested during the relatively short rally.

A reported 40,000 counter-protesters gathered in downtown Boston on Saturday (August 19) to attempt to drown out a so-called “free speech” rally.

  • Exactly one week after the tragic terror attack in Charlottesville, Virginia, it was feared that the controversial rally would bring together white supremacist groups and incite more violence. Instead, there were so many there protesting the event’s demonstrators that an hour after the rally started, attendees left the Boston Common pavilion without carrying out any of their planned speeches.

    Cheers ensued among the counter-protesters with many yelling “Hey hey, ho ho. White supremacy has got to go.”

    The event did end with arrests, however. 27 were made, primarily for disorderly conduct, according to the Washington Post. No one was injured and no property damage occurred.

    Tensions did flare though when people were escorted by police out of the march, prompting altercations between police and the counter-protesters. Boston Police Commissioner William Evans says police and protesters kept everything relatively civil and the event was a success.

    “Overall everyone did a good job,” Evans said. “99.9 percent of people were here for the right reason, and that’s to fight bigotry.”

    Donald Trump weighed in on what happened in Boston and wanted “to applaud” the protesters “speaking out against bigotry and hate.”

  • Trump also thanked Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh who joined counter-protesters at the march. He replied to the president though in a pretty slick way, knowing Trump’s previous comments on Charlottesville.

    “Today Boston stood for peace and love, not bigotry and hate,” he tweeted. “We should work to bring people together, not apart.”

    Check out video of what went down as well as reaction to the Boston protests below.

  • Video

  • Reaction

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