INCREASING THEIR FORCES AHEAD OF
TODAY'S PROTEST.
SIRENS BLARE AS POLICE TRUCKS
EXIT THE BOSTON COMMON AFTER
CROWDS
SURROUNDED THE AREA AT THE
BOSTON FREE SPEECH RALLY.
"THE POLICE PRESENCE IS PRETTY
KNOWN. THERE ARE
MANY OFFICERS ON BIKES. THERE
ARE FENCES SET UP." :04
DESPITE SOME DEMONSTRATORS
INITIALLY FEELING SAFE, THEY
REQUIRED
POLICE ESCORT TO EXIT THE
PARKMAN BANDSTAND.
MARY:
"RIGHT NOW THE LEFT SAYS, YOU
CAN ONLY SAY WHAT
WE AGREED TO. IF WE DON'T AGREE
WITH WHAT YOU SAY, YOU'RE A
RACIST, YOU'RE A BIGOT, YOU'RE A
THIS, YOU'RE A THAT. THREATS
HAVE OCCURRED. SOME PEOPLE HAVE
HAD DEATH THREATS."
ELISHA:
THOUSANDS OF COUNTER PROTESTORS
OUTNUMBERED
DEMONSTRATORS AND MARCHED
THROUGH THE STREETS OF BOSTON.
THEY WERE MET BY DOZENS OF
POLICE IN RIOT GEAR WITH BATONS
AND ZIP TIE
HAND CUFFS.
DESPITE CALLS FOR PEACEFUL
PROTESTS.... "NO VIOLENCE. IT
DIDN'T WORK FOR ME UP AT
STANDING ROCK. IT WON'T WORK
HERE."
...TENSIONS ECALATED BETWEEN LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND COUNTER
PROTESTORS WHO QUESTIONED WHY
POLICE RIOT GEAR SURROUNDED
THEM.
ELISHA: WHAT ORGANIZERS SET OUT
TO BE A PEACEFUL
PROTEST HAS LED TO MULTIPLE
ARRESTS. STATE AND LOCAL POLICE
BOTH WALKING AND ON BICYCLES
HAVE BEEN PATROLING THE AREA TO
KEEP CROWDS UNDER CONTROL.
MORE THAN 500 POLICE OFFICERS
WERE AT THE RALLY, INCLUDING K-9
UNITS AND
MOUNTED POLICE OFFICERS.
"WE CAME HERE KNOWING THAT
THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE
COULD BE KILLED. IF I DIE
FIGHTING FOR MY RIGHTS AND
OTHERS LIKE ME'S RIGHTS THEN
I'M TOTALLY WILLING TO DO SO."
:10
BOSTON EMERGECNY MEDICAL SERVICE
WAS ALSO THERE TO KEEP PEOPLE
SAFE.
ELISHA:
ROCKS WERE THROWN AT POLICE
OFFICERS DURING THE PROTEST.
