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‘No Kings’ protest: What protesters said and why they showed up
From veterans and church groups to costumed protesters and dog owners, demonstrators on Boston Common said they felt compelled to speak out.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered on Boston Common on Saturday for the nationwide “No Kings” protests, joining one of more than 160 rallies held across Massachusetts.
Organizers estimated 100,000 protesters attended the Boston rally, which featured speeches by Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, and Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, along with performances by Dropkick Murphys and other acts. Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, emceed the event.
By early afternoon, the Common had filled with people carrying homemade signs and wearing elaborate costumes, alongside veterans and families with young children. For many in attendance, the message was serious: Protesters said they came out over concerns about the direction of the country, the future of democracy, and a belief that staying silent was not an option.
Several veterans felt ‘called to speak out’
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Church members said protest is part of their regular activism
A group of nearly 40 women from The First Church in Belmont, Unitarian Universalist, attended Saturday’s protest together, carrying signs with messages including: “Imagine being afraid of diversity but not a dictator” and “Flower power, not abuse of power.”
Fran Yuan, a member of the church’s social action committee, said the group has made activism a regular practice in recent months.
“We have a weekly standout at the corner in front of our church,” Yuan said. “We’ve been doing that on Fridays for the last couple of months.”
Some members also travel to Burlington on Wednesdays to protest outside the ICE facility, she said.
“It’s part of our Unitarian Universalist values,” Yuan said. “Justice, equality, immigrants’ rights — those are all things that are important to us.”
Some protesters turned to costumes to make their point
As they packed into the Boston Common, some protesters used costumes to drive home the rally’s anti-monarchy message.
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Dave Beyna, dressed as George Washington, said he wanted to remind people that the country’s founding was rooted in rejecting concentrated power.
“After the Revolutionary War was fought and won against the monarchy, George Washington was approached by officers in the Continental Army who wanted him to consolidate power and become king,” Beyna said. “In so many words Washington basically said ‘That’s not why we did this.’”
Beyna, who said he has appeared at protests in multiple cities, said he came to Boston to channel that same spirit.
“I’m here to inspire and engage and energize as many people as possible,” he said.
One woman said spending her 66th birthday at the protest felt like a ‘gift’
Susan Tully attended Saturday’s protest on her 66th birthday, saying she came to show support for both her community and the country.
“We can’t go on in the direction we’ve been going. We are going backwards instead of forwards. Donald Trump, you are not fit for the job.”
Tully said choosing to spend her 66th birthday at the rally felt meaningful.
“I chose to come out to a protest on my birthday because I feel like the universe gave this to me as a gift so I can speak my mind and support others who feel the same way,” she said.
A lot of dogs showed up, too
A surprising number of dogs also made appearances, weaving through the crowd alongside their owners.
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Bruce Hegstrom attended alongside his dog, Bear, who was draped in a sign reading “Dogs for Democracy,” a tradition the pair started after attending a No Kings protest in Maine back in October.
Hegstrom said he came out because he believes the country’s system of government depends on rejecting monarchy.
“We shouldn’t have a king, and we should have three co-equal branches of government,” he said.
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