Foxnews.com
August 19, 2017
Conservative
activists cut short a planned rally in Boston on Saturday as thousands of
counterprotesters chanted anti-Nazi slogans and waved signs condemning white
nationalism.
The
Boston Police Department announced on Twitter that the event, billed as a “Free
Speech Rally,” had ended around 1:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon saying
“demonstrators had left the [Boston] Common.”
The tweet came just a few hours after dozens of rallygoers
gathered at the historic Boston Common and were met with thousands of
counterprotesters who had marched peacefully through downtown Boston.
Boston Police Department Commissioner William Evans said in late
afternoon there had been 27 arrests, most for disorderly conduct, along with a
few for assaulting police officers.
He added there were few injuries and no
significant property damage.
Organizers of the rally had publicly
distanced themselves from the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and others whose
“Unite the Right” march in Charlottesville turned deadly Aug. Only a few dozen
conservatives turned out to the Boston rally, in stark contrast to the
estimated 15,000 counterprotesters.
In an early afternoon tweet, President Trump
praised the work of local law enforcement.
Reports said about 10 people were arrested
during the demonstrations.
Boston’s demonstrations were mostly peaceful,
however there were some confrontation between protesters including when a
person dressed in all black grabbed an American flag out of an elderly woman’s
hands, pulling her for several feet before she stumbled and feel to the ground.
There were some confrontations amid the counterprotesters and
conservative rally participants in Boston as they marched from the city's
Roxbury neighborhood to Boston Common, where the rally was being held.
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said Friday that 500
officers -- some in uniform, others undercover -- were deployed to keep the
peace Saturday.
The permit issued for the rally on Boston Common came with
severe restrictions, including a ban on backpacks, sticks and anything that
could be used as a weapon. The permit is for 100 people, though an organizer
has said he expected up to 1,000 people to attend.
The Boston Free Speech Coalition, which organized the event,
said it has nothing to do with white nationalism or racism and its group is not
affiliated with the Charlottesville rally organizers in any way.
"We are strictly about free speech," the group said on
its Facebook page. "... we will not be offering our platform to racism or
bigotry. We denounce the politics of supremacy and violence."
But the mayor pointed out that some of those invited to speak
"spew hate." Kyle Chapman, who described himself on Facebook as a
"proud American nationalist," said he will attend.
Events are planned around the country, in cities including
Atlanta, Dallas and New Orleans.
Dating to 1634, Boston Common is the nation's oldest city park.
The leafy downtown park is popular with locals and tourists and has been the
scene of numerous rallies and protests for centuries.
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