A week after the arrests of 36 counter-protestors and the injuries of several others at the Boston Straight Pride Parade, Boston LGBTQ+ activists and allies organized at City Hall on September 8. Their purpose was to condemn Mayor Marty Walsh and the Boston Police for their brutality towards counter-protesters and the protection of alt-right organizers.
The Boston Straight Pride Parade, held on August 31, was organized by Happy Fun America, a hotly controversial alt-right group. Many of their members and organizers were members of the Proud Boys, a far-right, neo-fascist group.
The Proud Boys was known for sharing false narratives of white genocide and organizing aggressive demonstrations during the Charlottesville Virginia protests of 2017. After their 2018 FBI & Southern Poverty Law Center categorization as an extremist group with ties to white nationalism, many members rebranded to the name Happy Fun America.
At the Straight Pride Parade, participants wore "Make America Great Again" gear, drove a "Trump Bridge" serving as the primary float, and marched behind conservative commentator Milo Yiannopolous. While their stated intention was to protest in support of heterosexuality, Straight Pride demonstrators reportedly handed out digital materials containing the Anarchist's Cookbook and instructions on 3D printing guns. The parade was flanked by over a thousand counter-protestors.
After the injuries sustained by peaceful counter-protestors at the Straight Pride Parade, local activists organized Shame on Marty Walsh. The protest echoed with calls to dismiss Officer Danilecki who reportedly assaulted and arrested several peaceful counter-protestors during the parade.
Shame on Marty Walsh protestors also called for the removal of protections for alt-right groups in Boston. They also called for the city to prohibit the issuing of assembly permits to known hate groups.
Two of the counter-protestors arrested at Straight Pride issued statements during the Shame on Marty Walsh Protest.
"The actions committed on behalf of the State of Massachusetts over the past week are a disgusting display of destruction of liberty in our time," said Jackson Bennett.
"I and a medical team from Vermont received our first patient - a young man who was sprayed in the eyes and mouth. It was my first time encountering pepper spray and I've got to say I would not recommend," read a statement by Isaac Adelberg.
Mayor Marty Walsh said in a statement, "[The Straight Pride Parade] was not something I want to have in the city in Boston, there's no question about it. I don't agree with their values. I don't agree with their issues."
