8/19/17 by GARRETT HAAKE, AARON FRANCO and DARTUNORRO CLARK

BOSTON — 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.

Skirmishes between the competing groups, however, did break out before the free speech rally attendees left. Some with the counter-protesters were seen antagonizing a man draped in the American flag and a free speech attendee tried to rile up the
counter-protesters.

After the rally, a counter-protester set fire to a large Confederate flag, prompting a few hundred people nearby to break out into cheers.

The Boston Police Department tweeted that rocks were being thrown at officers about a mile from the Boston Common.

The protests, however, resulted in a handful of arrests but remained largely peaceful.

Boston Police Commissioner Williams Evans said at an afternoon press conference that the police arrested 27 people, mostly for disorderly conduct and hurling objects at police officers. There were no reported injuries, he said.

“99.9 percent of the people here were here for the right reason and that was to fight bigotry and hate,” Evans said, calling it a "great day for the city."

“No one got hurt and no one got killed and we have no significant—at all—property damage to the city.”

President Donald Trump, however, prematurely labeled protesters as "anti-police agitators" in a tweet and thanked the police for looking "tough and smart." He also said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, a Democrat, was doing a great job.

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/thou...h-rally-n794156

Quote: Cincinnatus wrote in post #2

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Only the ditzy Left could engage in a counter protest to free speech.

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