Activists plan march to ‘defend democracy’ in Boston, Worcester
Protesters will gather on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. on Boston Common and at 6 p.m. in Nubian Square for separate events.
Protesters plan to march in Boston Wednesday night to “defend democracy,” part of an event that organizers set up ahead of the outcome of the 2020 president election.
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The rally will begin at 6 p.m. in Nubian Square, according to a press release from the Sunrise Movement Boston, one of several groups behind the event.
“Thousands of young people (ages 15-40) from all across Massachusetts — including members from the Freedom Fighters Coalition, Sunrise Movement Boston, Boston Socialist Alternative, and college and high school students — will gather at Nubian Square to march for the liberation of their communities and our democracy,” the organizers wrote in a Monday press release.
According to the organizers, the march will start and end with speeches from activists related to “protecting our democracy” and “the importance of giving to your community.”
In the description of the event on Facebook, “Don’t Let Trump Steal the Election,” activists wrote that “nobody should be declared winner until every vote is counted.”
Another protest is set to take place earlier in Boston on Wednesday, organized by Indivisible Massachusetts and Massachusetts Peace Action. The event, “Protect the Results & Count Every Vote,” will start at 3:30. According to the Boston Herald, the protest will take place on Boston Common and 3,000 attendees are expected.
The ACLU is actively working across the country to make sure the votes of the American people are counted.
In Massachusetts, we’re coming together to make our voices heard, too. After all, that’s the whole point of this democracy thing, right? 😉https://t.co/iz6NNqUrh4
— ACLU Massachusetts (@ACLU_Mass) November 4, 2020
President Donald Trump held a victory celebration at the White House early Wednesday morning, where he falsely claimed he won the election before supporters and vowed to challenge the continued counting of ballots.
As of Wednesday morning, almost 200 people indicated through Facebook they were attending the Nubian Square event, with almost 750 expressing interest in the march.
A similar protest is being organized by the same groups to take place in Worcester on Wednesday evening. The rally will begin at 5 p.m. outside Worcester City Hall, according to description of the event on Facebook.
“MoveOn will be kicking off the rally at 5 p.m. with an open mic,” the event description reads. “All the rest of the organizers will join them at 6 p.m. with a few speakers and chants. We will then march down past Saint Vincent’s to the Courthouse and back.”
In response to the planned protest, the Worcester County Courthouse announced Tuesday it would close early on Wednesday afternoon, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports.
“Trial Court leaders have approved an early closure for the Worcester Trial Court on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. out of an abundance of caution for staff and the public,” Jennifer Donahue, a spokeswoman for the Trial Court, said in a statement obtained by the newspaper. “Security has provided information on the possible joining of two demonstrations scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in downtown Worcester going from City Hall to the courthouse.”
Organizers of the Worcester rally said the groups have no intention to incite violence during the demonstration.
Ahead of Election Day, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker activated up to 1,000 members of the National Guard for Election Day to prepare in case local officials requested assistance with maintaining public safety in the event of any large scale protests or demonstrations. Law enforcement officials have said there are no indications of any public safety risks in Massachusetts related to the election.
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