BOSTON — Here are the 3 Groups that we are aware of planning to take part in Saturday rallies and counter rallies:
"Boston Free Speech Rally" (John Medlar's event)
https://www.facebook.com/events/101232260566245/
They have a permit for an event from 12pm-2pm.
Parkman Bandstand.
Their FB page indicates 249 are going and 450 are "interested"
This Free Speech Movement is dedicated to peaceful rallies and are in no way affiliated with the Charlottesville rally on 8/12/17
"While we maintain that every individual is entitled to their freedom of speech and defend that basic human right, we will not be offering our platform to racism or bigotry. We denounce the politics of supremacy and violence. We denounce the actions, activities, and tactics of the so-called Antifa movement. We denounce the normalization of political violence."
"Fight Supremacy"
https://www.facebook.com/events/165697793990647
10am-5:30pm
They will start a march from the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury to the Boston Common
FB page says 10,000 are going – 23,000 are "interested"
"Walk with us as we march from the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Centerto Boston Common (1.9 miles) and Rally for Black Lives, LGBTQI Lives, Indigenous Lives, Palestinian Lives, Cape Verde Lives, Latinx Lives, Jewish Lives, and all who are marginalized! We will meet in front of the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center at 10am before marching to Boston Commons to demand justice and stand in defiance of white supremacy."
"Stand for Solidarity"
https://www.facebook.com/events/175606822982714/?active_tab=about
11am – 4pm
State House
FB page indicated 3,500 are going. 10,000 are "interested"
"Stand for Solidarity is a counter demonstrative rally in response to the August 19th "Free Speech Rally" called by a coalition of white nationalist organizations. Our coalition believes that it is crucial to not only vocally oppose these grass-roots led, far-right mobilizations, but that local communities must unite to resist the ways that white supremacist ideologies are validated, re-enforced and perpetuated by legislation and policy on a state and local level. We have assembled a list of actionable demands and have invited a series of speakers from organizations involved in the local struggle against white supremacy to speak about how individuals can get involved in these initiatives happening in their communities. This coalition does not advocate for the use of violence as an offensive tactic during this demonstration. We respect the bodily autonomy of individuals to defend themselves if physically attacked."
As of 7:30 a.m. Friday, neither of the last 2 groups above have a permit.
Reports also say “some members” of the KKK are headed to the Common. A national director for the KKK told the Herald “I’m assuming members in the Boston area are going.” John Medlar indicated he won’t let the KKK “hijack” their event.
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