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The crowd was part of the nationwide demonstration and heard speeches from state leaders and a performance by the Dropkick Murphys.
Handmade signs swayed above a sea of people as chants echoed throughout Boston on Saturday, as tens of thousands gathered for the third “No to Kings” march.
As part of a coordinated wave of protests held across the country, the “No Kings” march was organized by a coalition that included the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, the Indivisible Mass Coalition, and the 50501 Caucus.
The event included speeches and live performances, including a set from the Dropkick Murphys and appearances by musical groups such as the Good Trouble Brass Band.
Debbie Ball of the Indivisible Mass Alliance, one of the organizers, estimated that more than 150,000 people attended — similar to the turnout for the October march.
Paul described the demonstration as “historic,” noting that the protests also took place at the international level. More than 3,300 rallies were held across the United States on Saturday, including more than 160 in Massachusetts — the second-highest total of any state, she said.
“We are building the movement,” she said. “We’re attracting more people, keeping them engaged and active.”
Organizers also set up “action tables” around the forum, where attendees can register to join advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the Indivisible Mass Alliance, Paul said.
“The message is that we, the people, have power, and we can exercise it and respond to it,” she said. “This is our democracy. We elect our representatives. It is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people – not kings, not dictators.”
Speakers urge action and warn of political threats
More than a dozen speakers addressed the crowd throughout the afternoon, including Gov. Maura Healey.
“This is why I love Massachusetts,” Healy said as he surveyed the crowd. “For 250 years, we have had no kings in Massachusetts, and we are not going back.”
Haley encouraged attendees to talk openly about politics and engage others, stressing the risks of the upcoming elections.
“Massachusetts, keep doing what we have to keep doing, but we need to do more. We need to do more, because we know what’s coming,” she said. “We know that Donald Trump will use every agency of the federal government as a weapon to steal this election.”
Senator Elizabeth Warren also spoke, criticizing US military intervention abroad.
“Trump has single-handedly sent our brave military members overseas to die in another endless war, and he is spending a billion dollars a day to drop bombs halfway around the world,” she said. “Are you going to resist?”
Bahar Sharafi of the National Iranian American Council called for a renewal of the anti-war movement and urged attendees to put pressure on elected officials.
“This war has been a month old,” she said. “We need an anti-war movement.” “We need to be disruptive enough to make it painful for this regime to continue its course.”
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell focused on immigration, highlighting the importance of immigrant communities and ongoing legal efforts to protect them.
“Without our migrant workers, this country would collapse economically,” she said.
Campbell also highlighted the launch of ICE’s misconduct portal, developed in collaboration with Healey’s office, which allows residents to document and report alleged violations by federal immigration agents.
“With this collective power, with the power of our people, we can do anything,” she said. “We will certainly take on this administration as we have done in the past with any administration that has sought to harm us and dismantle the values we care about.”
Marcelo Gomez da Silva, a Milford teen arrested by federal agents last year, spoke of fear among young people in immigrant communities.
“You can’t make America great again by scaring the next generation,” he said. “You can’t create leaders by forcing children to hide. That’s not power. That’s not leadership. True leadership creates stability. It creates trust.”
He added: “Freedom is not just words on paper, it is whether people actually feel safe enough to live their lives.” “Freedom means that we question authority. We do not worship it.”
During the Dropkick Murphys’ performance, band leader Ken Kesey addressed the audience between songs.
“I can’t believe we’re living in this stupid, miserable nightmare ruled by the stupidest people ever,” Casey said before announcing the song “Like A Crimen,” which he said was dedicated to the “biggest idiot.”
“It’s very American to be here now‘
Many attendees said they came not only to protest, but to feel solidarity with others.
Anne Stowe said she hoped the rally would send a message to those in power that they were losing support.
“Our country is not our country anymore,” she said. “I was always proud of America, and I’m not proud of us now.”
Becky Franks, who attended with Stowe, said she was concerned about the ability of elected officials to ignore public opinion.
“People in power have so much power at this point, they don’t really need to care whether we agree or not,” she said. “I think if we can get to a point where they can’t ignore us, that’s what I’m hoping for.”
For Heidi Berzovici, the protest was also about creating a community that “feels less hopeless.”
“We absolutely love our country, and we will fight for the values of our country,” she said. “I want [the administration] To know that not all of them are strong, that this will end, and that they can’t do anything whenever they want.
Some protesters used humor to attract attention.
Donna Farrell wore an inflatable bumblebee costume with a simple message: “Be[e] Nice – good.”
“We love values [the U.S.] “It represents freedom and human rights. And I feel like we’re slowly losing it to one small minority,” she said.
Ren Galarza, a sophomore at Northeastern University, said they came to support members of their community affected by immigration policies. Galarza held a sign that read, “Abolish ICE.”
“This is what I can do without sacrificing my education to help, and I’m honored to be a white person to actually do that,” Galarza said.
“It’s very American to be here now,” they added.
Rebecca Smith, who attended the three No Kings rallies, said she feels compelled to continue attending.
“You think Trump did the most terrible thing, and then he does something even more terrible,” she said. “I am tired of the lies, corruption, self-serving and sycophants.”
Smith said she carried multiple signs and wore an inflatable pony costume, representing their peace.
“This is to make it a little lighter when it’s really serious,” she said of the pony. “It also draws attention to what we want to say.”
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