Protesters clash over abortion rights in Boston Common; 9 arrested
BOSTON - Protesters on opposing sides of the abortion debate clashed on Boston Common leading to nine arrests.
Opposing sides clash over abortion rights
The conflict started after a men's march of anti-abortion advocates rallied outside of Planned Parenthood on Commonwealth Avenue on Saturday morning. The march then proceeded to the bandstand on Boston Common and called for abortions to be abolished.
"On our end, it was peaceful," said Jim Havens, Co-founder of the Men's March. "But there were many people I would say hundreds, maybe even thousand who came out to try to block us from continuing on in our march."
The Men's March is a group of demonstrators against legal abortion access. Most members of the group are Catholic.
"We believe that there's a man behind every abortion, and we're calling on men to love women and children, not harm them," he said.
Once they arrived at Boston Common, they were met by counter-protesters advocating for women and their right to choose. Some of the protesters were dressed as clowns and played circus music and blew on horns and cowbells.
"They have a right to be here and we have a right to speak out against them, and the police are here just to keep the peace, and I hope that's all they do," said one protester.
Boston Police step in
Boston Police separated the two groups with barricades, but as tensions grew and people began hurling insults, police had to step in.
"People are angry. People are scared. People are scared of their rights being taken away," said a second protester.
Police said the arrests were made for disorderly conduct.
Today, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu addressed the event telling WBZ, "We're obviously in quite divided times right now and the city has always been a space where freedom of speech leads folks from all different views, expressing their views."
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts has asked Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden to file criminal charges against those arrested, saying those participating in The Men's March had their rights to free speech obstructed.
"A lot of these people were elderly," said Catholic Action League Executive Director C. J. Doyle. "A lot of these people were devout Catholics saying the rosary."
In a statement released Saturday night, he continued, "It is a disgrace, a scandal and an outrage that, in America's most historically Catholic city, Catholic men cannot march through the streets of Boston, reciting the Rosary, without being harassed, heckled, insulted, abused, obstructed, impeded and shouted down."