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More than 100 join Mass. officials for ‘Speak Out Against Hate’ rally at State House

Attorney General Maura Healey and Mayor Marty Walsh were among the politicians who attended.

More than 100 activists joined Mass. Attorney General Maura Healey and Mayor Marty Walsh on the State House stairs Monday morning for a “Speak Out Against Hate” rally. Organized by the New England chapter of the Anti-Defamation League and supported by more than 30 local activist groups, the rally featured appearances and speeches from several city and state officials, including Healey, Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, and state Treasurer Deb Goldberg.

“History has shown that when we see demagoguery, when we see the suppression of minorities, when we see efforts to sow division on racial, ethnic, or religious lines, we must do everything at its earliest possible juncture to denounce it or reject it,” Healey told the crowd.

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Healey’s office announced last week that a hate crime hotline set up by the attorney general and her team had received more than 300 calls in just four days.

In his speech to the State House crowd, Walsh said, “We will protect our neighbors. We will stand up to hate in all forms. We will move civil rights forward, not backwards. We’ve said this more than once in Boston’s history: Love wins.”

While Governor Charlie Baker did not attend the rally, the speaking program began with the reading of a letter written by Baker.

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