President Donald Trump tweeted his support for the Boston Police Department’s handling of a self-described free speech rally and counterprotest march that brought thousands to the city’s downtown Saturday, adding that he applauded « the many protestors in Boston who are speaking out against bigotry and hate. »
« Our great country has been divided for decades, » he wrote. « Sometimes you need protest in order to heal, & we will heal, & be stronger than ever before! »
« I want to applaud the many protestors in Boston who are speaking out against bigotry and hate, » he continued. « Our country will soon come together as one! »
The Boston Police Department arrested 27 people during Saturday’s protests, Police Commissioner William Evans said in a press conference. Most of the arrests were for disorderly conduct, but a few individuals were arrested for assaulting police officers, he added.
The rally, which was planned before racially motivated protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, turned deadly last week, took place amid a heated national debate about racism and the future of Confederate monuments — but the Boston march and rally were largely peaceful .
In Charlottesville, white supremacist groups rallied against the city’s plan to take down a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, a protest that exploded in violence that resulted in the death of 32-year-old counterprotester Heather Heyer. Two Virginia state troopers, Jay Cullen and Berke Bates, were killed as well in a helicopter crash during the response to the violence.
In Boston, rally organizers had invited « libertarians, conservatives, traditionalists, classical liberals, Trump supporters or anyone else who enjoys their right to free speech, » according to a group calling itself the Boston Free Speech Coalition, which sought to distance itself from the violence in Charlottesville on its Facebook page.
« We denounce the politics of supremacy and violence, » it said. « We denounce the actions, activities, and tactics of the so-called Antifa movement. We denounce the normalization of political violence. »
A coalition of mostly left-leaning groups and activists such as the Black Lives Matter movement organized Boston’s counterprotest.
Some carried signs with messages such as « No Trump. No KKK. No racist USA » and « Americans against hate. » At times, they chanted « Hey hey, ho ho, white supremacy has got to go » and « black lives matter. »
Police maintained a buffer zone between marchers and rally participants — averting major incidents except for occasional clashes and shouting matches between the counterprotesters and supporters of Trump.
Earlier in the week, Trump held a news conference in which he blamed the violence in Charlottesville on both sides of the conflict — equating the white supremacists on one side with the « alt-left » on the other side.
On Saturday, after the Boston rally and protest march ended, Trump tweeted thanks and « great job » to Boston Mayor Marty Walsh.
Walsh tweeted earlier Saturday morning asking for peace and respect at Saturday’s « Free Speech » rally and counter-protests.
« I ask everyone to be peaceful today and respect our City, » he wrote. « Love, not hate. We stand together against intolerance. »
By 1: 30 p.m., the rally had ended, earlier than expected. « ‘Free Speech’ rally is officially over, » the Boston police tweeted. « Demonstrators have left the Common. »
