BOSTON, August 19 (Sputnik) — Cheers erupted from the crowd of counter-demonstrators as police led some two dozen 'Free Speech' participants to safety.
Earlier in the day, thousands of people descended on the Boston Common, with the vast majority of these being counter-demonstrators who chanted slogans against the 'Free Speech' rally and US President Donald Trump.
When hate groups threaten a city like #Boston or #Durham, we are seeing it backfire badly
— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) 19 августа 2017 г.
You're building unity & community in these cities pic.twitter.com/Pk4dWyXgkD
Marathon Bombing.
— Steve Marmel (@Marmel) 19 августа 2017 г.
Nazis.
KKK.
Boston rises when confronted with the worst of humanity.pic.twitter.com/giF78yOGTP#FightSupremacy #BostonResist https://t.co/HFENQ3mg94
Hundreds of counter-demonstrators began shouting "Nazi scum" and "shame" as around a dozen Free Speech rally participants who arrived to Boston Common.
City officials also placed video cameras on the streets and tasked teams of police officers with filming protesters in a bid to discourage violence and bring any law-breakers to swift justice.
Everyone that is going to the Boston Free speech protest today, Please stay safe, and keep your distance from the Nazis! #StaySafeBoston pic.twitter.com/rQjPAWwnrB
— SCROTUS (@_NotFakeNews_) 19 августа 2017 г.
The rival protests come just one week after deadly protests in the US town of Charlottesville, Virginia, where a white nationalist "Unite the Right" rally descended into violence.
Police in Boston are taking extra precautions to avoid a repeat of Charlottesville, where clashes erupted between protesters and counter-demonstrators. The violence culminated in the Virginia town when a Nazi supporter slammed his car into a group of counter-protesters, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and leaving 19 others injured.
