Leftists Attack Parade Marchers in Boston

Yet again, a permitted event held by white, heterosexual Americans was disrupted by radical leftists who not only assaulted paraders but injured four cops, as well. At least this time a large number these outrageously violent anti-free speech activists were arrested. 

By John Friend

A “Straight Pride” parade held in downtown Boston the last Saturday in August resulted in multiple scuffles, at least 36 arrests—almost all of whom were leftists—and four injured police officers, according to local reports, in yet another demonstration of the threat the radical left poses to American society and political traditions.

Estimates vary, but roughly 1,000 participated in the parade and counter-protest, with multiple reports indicating that left-wing counter-protesters—including self-identified antifa members—outnumbered those participating in the parade.

The event sparked controversy from the beginning, with debate raging on both sides as to whether or not such a parade is welcome in Boston, a city known for its left-wing politics.

The organizers eventually secured the required permit and largely cooperated with local law enforcement and city officials. Many commentators, including Stephen Colbert, mocked the parade, while other celebrities and left-wing activists expressed their outrage at the event.

John Hugo, one of the key organizers of the event, argued that the parade was about protecting the First Amendment and ensuring free speech and assembly can still be exercised in American society, as well as celebrating the “oppressed minority” of heterosexual Americans who have been suppressed by mainstream cultural institutions in recent years, as the homosexual agenda is forced upon American society.

“Why is it that other people can have a pride parade and it’s considered OK, and they have about 2,000 LGBTQ events every year, but we want a few hours and they all get out and protest and give us the finger and swear at us?” Hugo asked in an interview with the Boston Herald. “Give me a break.”

“The people who demand tolerance are the most intolerant,” he continued, referring to the radical left-wing protesters who targeted the parade and its attendees. “That’s hypocrisy.”

The parade, which began at Copley Square and ended at City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston, drew the typically hysterical and confrontational left-wing mobs seen at virtually every other conservative or right-leaning public event in recent years. Some members of antifa and other left-wing counter-protesters, who have engaged in premeditated acts of political violence and sabotage with impunity since the 2016 presidential campaign season, attempted to disrupt the event and violently confront those marching in the parade. Local police commendably kept the peace and generally protected the parade attendees’ First Amendment rights, as black-clad antifa openly threatened violence against those supporting the parade.

“We’re covered in black so when we attack these guys we can’t be prosecuted,” Jon Crowley, who openly identifies with the antifa movement, explained to the Boston Herald, demonstrating once again the violent nature of the radical left.

The overwhelming majority of those arrested were counter-protesters of the legally sanctioned parade, with charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assaulting a police officer. Many of those arrested and cited during the parade appeared before Boston Municipal Court Judge Richard J. Sinnott this week. Local prosecutors have insisted that charges be dismissed against counter-protesters, but Sinnott has largely refused, an indication that local judicial and law enforcement officials take their oath of office to uphold and defend the Constitution seriously.

Lawrence A. Calderone, the vice president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, expressed joy and gratitude that Sinnott was holding those arrested accountable for their actions and refusing to dismiss their charges at the behest of city prosecutors.

“We think that these offenders that are here, most of them outside of the city of Boston, not residents of Boston, came here as agitators,” Calder – one stated, “here for a specific reason, here to create havoc, not only for the police department but for the general citizenry that are around, for the visitors that are in downtown Boston trying to enjoy the last weekend of the summer.”

Those concerned about the rule of law and cherished American political traditions such as free speech and assembly also welcome Sinnott’s no-nonsense approach to enforcing the law.

John Friend is a freelance writer based in California.