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Tens of thousands march on the Boston Common
Boston hosts third No Kings

The third Boston No Kings protest hit the Boston Common on Saturday with full force as tens of thousands of protesters gathered round the city’s green.
Organizers estimated about 150,000 to 180,000 people came to the protest throughout the afternoon. The day featured a host of speakers from various outlets, as well as performances from buskers and the Dropkick Murphys.
“You make us proud to be from here, that’s for damn sure,” singer Ken Casey said. “There’s been a lot of talk so we’ll bring more rock and less talk.”e
The band played an acoustic set, and Casey lamented the lack of percussion.
“Every time you see us at one of these, they never let us bring our drums,” he said. “They take too long to set up, but one of these days we’ll play one loud and electric.”
Casey said they recently played a protest/memorial at the site where Alex Pretti was killed. The band dedicated its new song, “Don’t Call Us a F%#@in’ Terrorist” to the situation in Minnesota.
Boston comic Jimmy Tingle also spoke during the day, focusing on the current armed conflict with Iran. He said he felt that defense funding could be spent elsewhere more effectively.
“How about housing as a form of national defense?” he said. “Do you know how many houses we could build with $1 trillion? That’s like three houses in Newton! Two condos in Cambridge! Or a parking space on Beacon Hill! How about healthcare as a form of national defense? Because of Obamacare, Americans are living longer and healthier lives than before. They say 60 is the new 40, 80 is the new 60, and 100 is the new 80. I love that! And death, is the new assisted living. So we have that to look forward to, brothers and sisters.”
Tingle added he doesn’t believe the Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act with savings accounts will do the trick.
“So we can save up for a medical emergency?” he said. “‘Jimmy! You going to the Cape next summer for vacation?’ ‘Jeez, I’d love to go, but I’m saving up for a stroke!’”
Milford teen Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, who was detained by ICE last year, also spoke.
“I truly believe that you can’t make America great again by scaring the next generation,” he said. “You can’t create leaders by forcing kids into hiding. That’s not strength, that’s not leadership. Real leadership creates stability, trust and allows people to live, learn and grow without constantly looking over their shoulder. Freedom isn’t just a word on paper, it’s feeling safe enough for people to live their lives.”
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley also spoke during the protest and said that protests work, because the opposition wants those it’s trying to oppress to feel powerless.
“The occupant of the White House and his co-conspirators, they want us to be overwhelmed, they want us to go quietly into the night, they are working to dismantle every corner of our government, they are coming after our reproductive freedoms, they are attacking our healthcare system, our right to quality education while rolling back climate actions,” she said. “What they want, is a people indifferent to the suffering of its neighbors. This playbook is as old as sin, pitting hard-working people against one another. This moment may feel unprecedented, you may believe this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stand up, but this is actually a fight that we have waged and weathered against for generations. And this is a fight that we will, and we must, continue.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren also spoke during the event, and pointed out that there have been several wins in that category this year.
“For a year now, the people across this country who have run elections based on supporting our democracy, and reining in Donald Trump, have won time after time after time,” she said. “Your hard work, your rallies, your phone calls, your knocking on doors have brought new fighters into the race. It’s brought a new generation of people running for office right now, so they can go to Washington and fight Donald Trump and the Republicans.”
Resident Steve Downie said he came out because of his strong belief in democracy.
“We are a democracy, not a dictatorship,” he said. “We do not follow kings, especially narcissistic kings who cause senseless wars. We are here to say no, no to the regime, and no to this fascist empire.”
Residents Eric Lovewell and Shannon Dowd said they came out to support the end of the war in Iran and the abolishment of ICE, and the pair said they were glad to see they weren’t the only ones.
“I’m definitely impressed, there are a ton of people here,” said Lovewell. “It was a nightmare getting out; you just had to pick your path of least resistance.”
“We were right in the middle of it and almost couldn’t get out,” said Dowd. “It’s crazy.”
“We’re hopeful though, I can definitely see there are a lot of people out here for the cause,” Lovewell said.
Resident Courtney McGowan said she came out because she wanted to protest the decline of the United States over the last generation.
“We’re just sick of everything that’s been developing for the last 20 years, and it’s reached a point where it needs to stop,” she said.
Resident Rufus Moffett and Joanna Davin said they wanted to show their disapproval over the actions of the administration, both domestically and internationally.
“If we don’t speak up now, what are we going to do?” Moffett said.
“Can you imagine telling your children or grandchildren that you stayed at home during all this?” Davin said.
About the author
Jeff Sullivan Covers local news and community stories.


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