180,000 protesters demand “No Kings” at Boston Common rally this past weekend.
An estimated 180,000 people gathered in Boston Common Saturday for the third “No Kings” rally, protesting the violent actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the ongoing war in Iran, and the Trump Administration’s attacks on civil liberties, organizers said. It was one of 162 protests taking place across the state, with thousands more happening across the country.
The rally was organized by a coalition of over 200 groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. It featured speeches from local organizers and elected officials, including Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Governor Maura Healey, and Representative Ayanna Pressley.
“The bottom line here is for 250 years we haven’t had kings in Massachusetts, and we’re not going backwards,” the governor said. “We know something about Democracy.
Healey said Massachusetts has opposed the Trump administration for the past year. She said the state has ensured insurance covers vaccines, fed residents who have lost SNAP benefits, and passed an updated Shield Law to ensure access to reproductive care in the Bay State.
Markey accused the White House of voter suppression ahead of the midterms. “The Save Act should really be called the ‘Save Their Asses Act,” he said.
The act would require a valid U.S. passport, birth certificate with photo ID, naturalization certificate, or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Additional paperwork would be required if a person’s name is not consistent across their documents, putting an additional burden on married women and people who have legally changed their names.
“Donald Trump and MAGA republicans know they cannot win an election in 2026 if every eligible voter gets to vote,” Markey said. “So instead of earring support, they are trying to rig the rules because when more people vote, MAGA loses.”
South Boston native Terris Reddick said that the direction the country has taken made him feel powerless and unsure of how to proceed. He joined the Independent Socialist Group last month to pursue more concrete action than just reposting articles online could achieve.
“It took a toll on me, and I had to do something, but I knew I couldn’t do it alone. I argue there is no excuse at this point to organize,” He said. “I hope everyone that went or seen footage realized the importance and potential of worker solidarity.”
Reddick added that he hopes protesters engaged with the organizers present and that they can keep public pressure on the Trump Administration.
The rally also featured a performance by Celtic punk band, The Dropkick Murphys. “A northeast city like here, where people like myself, a few generations ago, we were the immigrants,” said lead singer Ken Casey. “To see immigrants be vilified the way they are and even citizens be killed in the street, I don’t know how you can still think what’s happening here is alright.”
One of the groups present, LUCE Immigrant Justice Network, called for an economic shutdown on International Workers Day, May 1.
“As immigrants, we are witnessing injustices every day. Our people are being kidnapped and separated from their families. We — the workers, the neighbors, the people of Massachusetts — have the power,” Said a representative. “Immigrant workers and everyone who cares about the future of our country are taking this fight to the next level. We as workers won’t go to work, we won’t send our children to school, and we won’t shop that day.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called the protests the product of “leftist fundraising networks.” “The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” she said in a statement.
