• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • NEWS+OPINIONS
    • NEWS TO US
    • COLUMNS
      • APPARENT HORIZON
      • DEAR READER
      • Close
    • LONGFORM FEATURES
    • OPINIONS
    • EDITORIAL
    • Close
  • ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
    • FILM
    • MUSIC
    • COMEDY
    • PERFORMING ARTS
    • VISUAL ARTS
    • Close
  • DINING+DRINKING
    • EATS
    • SIPS
    • BOSTON BETTER BEER BUREAU
    • Close
  • LIFESTYLE
    • CANNABIS
      • TALKING JOINTS MEMO
      • Close
    • WELLNESS
    • GTFO
    • Close
  • STUFF TO DO
  • TICKETS
  • ABOUT US
    • ABOUT
    • MASTHEAD
    • ADVERTISE
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • Close
  • BECOME A MEMBER

Dig Bos

The Dig - Boston's Only Newspaper

PHOTOS + RECAP: PEACEFUL PROTESTS TURN UGLY AS COPS SPRAY GAS & LOOTERS SMASH

Written by DIG STAFF Posted June 1, 2020 Filed Under: News, News to Us, NEWS+OPINIONS

WORDS BY ZACK HUFFMAN | PHOTOS BY KEIKO HIROMI

A peaceful demonstration with an estimated tens of thousands of participants turned violent as night fell on downtown Boston Sunday. Most marchers had left the vicinity by the time things became unruly, but many remained.

A collection of young activists calling themselves Black Boston organized the event, which began around 6pm in the heart of Roxbury and saw demonstrators march from Nubian Square to the State House.

The plan was to end the protest at the foot of Beacon Hill, with thousands of marchers spread out on Boston Common. Following the formal finish, one of the organizers called out, “The police are here. They are dangerous. It is time to go home.”

At that point, around 9:30pm, most people began trickling away, but thousands remained. Shortly thereafter, police swarmed to the corner of Park and Tremont streets, resulting in some people getting pepper sprayed.

As the remaining crowd moved in and around Downtown Crossing and Park Street, police began closing off streets in the area, dividing the crowd. Service was also suspended at T stops in the area, causing many people to cram into buses and others to return to Boston Common.

In response to the pepper spray, some members of the crowd flipped large planters lining Tremont Street while others began breaking windows. One police cruiser was set on fire across the street from the Granary Burying Ground. Some fireworks were also set off.

In time, police blocked the narrow downtown streets around the Common, pushing protesters into the park. Officers repeatedly shot canisters of tear gas into the crowd, but many were thrown right back at the police. Two creative demonstrators ran up to the police line with battery-powered leaf blowers to redirect tear gas.

As midnight approached, the police continued pushing the crowd westward toward the edge of the Common. Tear gas wafted through the air along with the smell of burning trash from numerous cans that were set ablaze in the park.

Earlier in the day, there was another march featuring a few hundred people. This one started in front of Government Center before passing by the State House, around the Common and eventually looping around Copley Square and then back to the Common.

The march finished with everyone crowding into the northeast corner of the park. A half dozen protesters, who seemed to be leading the march, lay face-down for 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence in honor of George Floyd.

Afterwards, a bullhorn was passed around to random members of the crowd. One mother, who is black, said that she came out there with her eight-month-old because she was terrified about the potential danger police shootings that her son may face once he becomes a teenager.

“If we have to riot and destroy things to get change, then we’re going to destroy things to get change,” Mahira Louis said.

“A lot of people like to come out here and play the prophet,” said Peter Walker, an older black man who said he was heartened by the youth and diversity of the crowd. “I don’t know the fucking answer but it has to come from us.”


This article was produced in collaboration with the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.

HELP DIGBOSTON WEATHER THE CORONAVIRUS STORM AND CONTINUE PROVIDING ARTICLES LIKE THIS ONE

DIG STAFF

Dig Staff means this article was a collaborative effort. Teamwork, as we like to call it.

Related posts
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Where To Drink Night Shift Outdoors This Season
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Dig This: "Pure Love: Stardust, Clouds, and Dandelions" At Childs Gallery
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Mass Supreme Court Sides With Asshole Sheriff In Prison Phone Fee Decision
  • DIG STAFF
    https://digboston.com/author/dig-staff/
    Juliet In Union Square Brings Back 'Pay What You Can' Dining

Filed Under: News, News to Us, NEWS+OPINIONS Tagged With: news, news to us, Photos, slider

WHAT’S NEW

Mass Supreme Court Sides With Asshole Sheriff In Prison Phone Fee Decision

Mass Supreme Court Sides With Asshole Sheriff In Prison Phone Fee Decision

State Wire: Mass Group Says Campus-Based Supports Needed For Former Foster Youth

State Wire: Mass Group Says Campus-Based Supports Needed For Former Foster Youth

Assange Supporters To Protest AG Garland At Harvard Commencement

Assange Supporters To Protest AG Garland At Harvard Commencement

We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical

We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical

Photo by Mike Connolly

Opinion: Defending the Right to Abortion

Longtime Anti-Nuclear Activist On Trial This Morning In Plymouth

Longtime Anti-Nuclear Activist On Trial This Morning In Plymouth

Primary Sidebar

FEATURED EVENT

Most Popular

  • We Turned the North End Restaurant Lawsuit Against Mayor Wu Into a Musical
  • Do You Want To Work For the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission?
  • Inbox: Red Bull Cliff Diving Returns To Boston Waterfront
  • How Long Can Major Cannabis Cultivators Sustain Massive Indoor Grows In Mass?
  • Drunk On Drug Money, Easthampton Councilors Approve Second Tesla For Police

CURRENT STREET EDITION

DIG 24.08 – 04/21/22

Footer

Social Buttons

DigBoston facebook DigBoston Twitter DigBoston Instagram

Masthead

About

Advertise

Privacy Policy

Customer Service

Distribution

About Us

DigBoston is a one-stop nexus for everything worth doing or knowing in the Boston area. It's an alt-weekly, it's a website, it's an e-mail blast, it's a twitter account, it's that cool party that you were at last night ... hey, you're reading it, so it's gotta be good. For advertising inquiries: [email protected] To reach Editorial: [email protected] For internship opportunities: [email protected]