Boston 'Free Speech Rally' cut short as thousands of counter-protesters chase away white nationalists

A handful of hate-filled white supremacists who gathered for a rally in Boston on Saturday were outnumbered, out-shouted and chased out of town by thousands of counter-demonstrators.

Tensions flared at times as cops were forced to escort the 40-odd protesters from the historic Boston Common around noon as an estimated crowd of 40,000 converged on them, chanting “wrong side of history" and “shame, shame" a week after a gathering of hate groups led to bloodshed in Virginia.

One of the planned speakers at the “Free Speech Rally" that was cut short in Boston said the event just “fell apart."

“I didn’t realize how unplanned of an event it was going to be," Samson Racioppi, a Libertarian candidate for Congress told WCVB-TV. “I really think it was supposed to be a good event by the organizers but it kinda fell apart."

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Rallygoers, some clad in Nazi T-shirts and wrapped in American flags, fled the Common’s historic Parkman Bandstand with the help of cops who ushered them into waiting police vans as cheers erupted from the swarm of peaceful counter-protesters.

A police source who helped organize the retreat said the white power advocates seemed awed by the massive number of people who came out to oppose them.

“To tell you the truth, I think they were too stupid to be scared," the source told the Daily News.

A total of 27 arrests were made, mostly for disorderly conduct and a few assaults on police officers, according to Boston Police Commissioner William Evans.

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Many of the counter-protesters marched from the Roxbury neighborhood to the downtown park lofting signs critical of President Trump and chanting against bigotry.

They chanted anti-Nazi and anti-fascism slogans, and waved signs that said: “Make Nazis Afraid Again," “Love your neighbor," “Resist fascism" and “Hate never made U.S. great."

A protestor who would only identify himself as Matt said he joined the throngs to let white nationalists know they weren’t welcome in Beantown.

Photos: Thousands of counter protesters march against the 'Free Speech' rally in Boston

“I came to defend the city against fascism," the 20-year-old Boston native said. “They deserve no respect."

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Later in the day, cops faced off with small pockets of anti-fascist protesters who took to the streets.

“#BPD is asking individuals to refrain from throwing urine, bottles and other harmful projectiles at our officers," Boston police tweeted.

The planned “Free Speech" rally had many fearing a repeat of the violent gathering of hate groups in Virginia that ended in bloodshed last weekend.

Organizers of Saturday’s midday event tried to publicly distance themselves from the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and Klansmen who sparked violence in Charlottesville. Last weekend, 32-year-old Heather Heyer was killed at the “Unite the Right" rally, and scores of others were injured, when a neo-Nazi plowed his car into anti-racist protesters.

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President Trump cast counter-protesters in Charlottesville as “alt-left" and blamed violence on “many sides."

In Boston, thousands marched from the predominantly black Roxbury neighborhood to the downtown park where they completely outnumbered the white nationalists and Trump supporters.

Harold Donahue, a 26-year-old business consultant from Los Angeles said he came to Boston looking for a fight.

“I’m not here for the politics, I’m here for the violence," he said before cops helped him out of the park.

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Water bottles and traffic cones were launched through the air as small scuffles broke out between the opposing groups.

At one point a counter-protester grabbed an American flag out of an elderly woman’s hands, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground.

Edwin Victor, 53, a retired computer programmer from East Walpole, Mass., was livid that the rally was cut short.

“It’s why we went to war," said Victor, who wore a shirt emblazoned with the phrase “stop white genocide." “It’s about free speech. It’s about America."

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While mostly peaceful, there were some reports of clashes between cops and counter-protesters later in the day.

“I think it’s clear today that Boston stood for peace and love not bigotry and hate," Mayor Martin Walsh said.

Commissioner Evans added that the day’s events went off “as planned," with no one hurt or killed.

Anti-fascist protesters continued to march through the streets into the evening, drawing a large police response.

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Hundreds of demonstrators, many clad in black and wearing bandanas over their faces, sat down in intersections and blocked traffic.

Several cops used chemical spray to disperse the crowds.

“They pepper sprayed me," one protester said as she poured milk over her face. “They arrested one of our people and she fought back like any human would. The cops then started spraying the crowd. The police started this, we were marching peacefully."

The peaceful atmosphere led the President to change his tone on the protests as the events unfolded.

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“Looks like many anti-police agitators in Boston. Police are looking tough and smart! Thank you," Trump tweeted after Boston police said that rocks were being thrown.

He later sent out a string of positive messages, applauding protesters and congratulating Walsh.

“Our great country has been divided for decades. Sometimes you need protest in order to heal, & we will heal, & be stronger than ever before!" he wrote.

Rallies also were held in Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans and other cities across the country.

With News Wire Services

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