
Event Date: August 19, 2017
Organized by: Boston Free Speech
Organizations Present:
- Proud Boys and Fraternal Order of Alt-Knights
- Anti-Communist Action (Anticom)
- National Anarchist Tribal Alliance – New York
- Three Percenters
- Ku Klux Klan (rumored)
White Supremacists/Fascists Present:
- Gabriel Brown
- John Medlar
- Shiva Ayyadurai
- Joe Biggs
- Kyle “Based Stickman” Chapman
- Samson Racioppi
- Trevor Carey
- Michael Lindskog
Key Takeaways/Facts:
- Popular reaction to the white supremacist/fascist violence in Charlottesville the preceding weekend brought out 40,000 people between two organized counter-demonstrations, one from Roxbury to the Common and one stationary on the Common.
- New England area fascists’ fractures further deepened: many speakers drop out at the last minute.
- Boston Police Department consistently and violently protected white supremacists/fascists by maintaining perimeter around the stage, providing escorts in and out of the event, as well as tear gassing, bludgeoning, and arresting many counter-protesters and passersby, including shoppers in Downtown Crossing, after the rally.
- Boston Police Department arrested 33 people, only 3 (one of whom was Trevor Carey, who became part of the Boston Free Speech blue bloc and then MarxWatch) were later identified as fascists.
Impact:
- Several dozen fascist events planned nationwide cancel and/or draw a fraction of the expected numbers.
- With its momentum slowed, Boston Free Speech stopped being the main coalition fascist organization in Boston, and instead became a coalition member of a new such organization, Resist Marxism.
- Fascist organizing in Boston was slowed for months.
Media Coverage:
- “Here’s what happened at the ‘free speech’ rally and counter-protests on Boston Common,” Meghan Barr, John Waller, Boston.com, August 20, 2017
- “Boston ‘free speech’ rally ends early amid flood of counterprotesters; 27 people arrested,” Wesley Lowery, Christina Pazzanese, Washington Post, August 19, 2017
- “Thousands march in Boston in protest of controversial rally,” Ray Sanchez, CNN, August 19, 2017
- “Thousands of Counter-Protesters March Against White Nationalism in Boston a Week After Charlottesville,” Katie Reilly, Time, August 19, 2017
- “Boston “free speech” rally ends after counter-protesters take to streets,” Steven Keith, CBS, August 19, 2017
- “Dozens arrested, few injured as 40,000 protesters descend on Boston,” Julia Jacobo, Emily Shapiro, Blair Shiff, ABC, August 20, 2017
- “Thousands March in Boston for Counter-Protest to ‘Free Speech Rally’,” Garrett Haake, Aaron Franco, Dartunorro Clark, Jacob Rosenberg, NBC, August 19, 2017
- “Peace prevails in Boston as rally plays out,” Antonio Planas, Dan Atkinson, Jordan Graham, Boston Herald, August 20, 2017
- “Tens of Thousands March Against Hatred and White Supremacy in Boston, Overwhelm ‘Free Speech’ Rally,” Chas Danner, NY Mag, August 19, 2017
- “Boston Right-Wing ‘Free Speech’ Rally Dwarfed By Counterprotesters,” Scott Neuman, NPR, August 19, 2017
- “‘Free Speech’ Rally Is Ended Early As Protesters Descend On The Common,” Benjamin Swasey, WBUR, August 19, 2017
- “UPDATES: White supremacist rally in Boston,” Judd Legum, ThinkProgress, August 19, 2017
- “Boston ‘free speech’ rally overwhelmed by counter-protesters,” Shawn Musgrave, Politico, August 19, 2017
- “Thousands counter-protest ‘free speech’ rally in Boston,” Omar Etman, PBS, August 19, 2017
- Coverage of Trevor Carey’s gun-related arrest
- “Armed Shrewsbury man arrested at weekend ‘Free Speech’ rally in Boston,” Cyrus Moulton, Telegram, August 23, 2017
- “Trump Supporter Arrested For Pulling Gun On Black Man At Boston ‘Free Speech’ Rally,” Sarah Betancourt, Britni de la Cretaz, The Uptake, August 20, 2017