George Floyd protests in Massachusetts

This is a list of George Floyd protests in Massachusetts, United States. Protests and demonstrations have occurred throughout the state, with protests occurring every day since May 28 in Boston.

George Floyd protests in Massachusetts
Part of George Floyd protests
Protest at Boston Common on May 31
DateMay 28, 2020 – present (2 months, 2 weeks and 3 days)
Location
Massachusetts, United States
Caused by
StatusOngoing

Demonstrations
Protest in Littleton, Massachusetts on June 7

Amherst

More than sixty people peacefully gathered across from the police station on Saturday, May 30.[3] On June 12, local teens organized a march of more than 200 people that began at Amherst Regional High School and ended at Sweetser Park with a speak-out session for Black teenagers.[4]

Barnstable

About 100 people rallied at the Hyannis Village Green on May 30. Vigils were held outside the West Barnstable train station on May 30 and at the Falmouth Village Green on May 31.[5]

Boston
Tufts Medical Center staff observed and cheered for the protesters during the march on May 31

A group of several hundred protesters gathered in Peters Park on Thursday, May 28, in what began as a peaceful demonstration, but escalated after several dozen protesters gathered outside the nearby Precinct 4 police station. Several protesters were pepper sprayed and maced by police officers.[6][7] The following day, a second large group of protestors clashed with city police, injuring four officers and resulting in ten arrests.[8] On Sunday, May 31, three large protests were held in the city, with the total number of protesters being in the thousands. Though all three began peacefully, violence broke out by nightfall, with police driving squad cars through crowds and firing tear gas without dispersal instruction.[9] Some protesters threw plastic water bottles and set off fireworks, while police used pepper spray and batons to keep crowds away from Boston Common.[10] Some stores in Downtown Crossing were looted and vandalized, twenty-one police cruisers were burned or damaged, seven officers were hospitalized (with more being treated for injuries in the streets), and over forty arrests were made.[11][12]

On June 2, communities organized a large protest in Franklin Park, which remained peaceful despite tense stand-offs with both police and the national guard.[13] On June 3, there was a protest on Boston Common. Hundreds of people gathered, the march ended with a die-in, which remained peaceful.[14] On June 4, hundreds attended separate vigils in Jamaica Plain and Roslindale which remained peaceful.[15] On June 4, the MBTA announced that they would no longer use MBTA buses to transport police to protests.[16] Marches and protests have continued every day as of June 10.[17]

On June 25, a rally was held with hundreds in attendance. A demonstration against the protests and in support of police was held with around 50 in attendance, but hundreds of counter-demonstrators.[18]

Over the July 4th weekend, protests continued, with a march from Roxbury to Boston Common on the 4th.[19] In Nubian Square, a 500-foot long Black Lives Matter Mural was painted in the street.[20]

Brockton

On the evening of June 2, hundreds of protesters gathered throughout the city. The protest began as a "peace rally" outside of the middle school, but protesters clashed with police outside of the city police's headquarters by nightfall. Protesters threw water bottles and fireworks, while police deployed tear gas. Several businesses were damaged or looted, including a Dunkin' Donuts that was broken into and set on fire.[21] Both Massachusetts State Police and National Guard forces were deployed to aid the city police, and the confrontation resulted in the MBTA Commuter Rail bypassing Brockton station.[22][23]

Cambridge

Protests were held on the weekend of June 6–7, with thousands gathering on Sunday in Cambridge Common,[24] and a smaller crowd gathering on Saturday in Central Square.[25] Over 1,000 people in Cambridge marched in a Black Lives Matter protest on June 20.[26]

Fall River

Organizers held a "peace walk" on Sunday, May 31, marching throughout the city before ending at Government Center. The walk remained peaceful the whole time. However, an unaffiliated person did vandalize the WLNE-TV news van with the expression RIP George.[27]

Framingham

On Thursday, May 28, a group of about thirty protesters peacefully gathered and crowded along sidewalks in the city.[28]

Greenfield

On May 30, residents from Greenfield and beyond gathered for a "Justice for George Floyd" rally that followed a motorcade that began in surrounding town Erving, running through Millers Falls and Turners Falls, and finally arriving at the Greenfield Common.[29] On June 6, approximately 2,000 people marched a mile and a half from Greenfield Common to the Greenfield Police Station; for nine minutes, protestors laid on the ground or kneeled to honor Floyd.[30]

Holyoke

On June 2, over 1,000 people participated in a peaceful march in Holyoke, beginning at City Hall, going on High Street, and ending in front of the police station on Appleton Street.[31]

Lowell

More than 200 people took part in a march from the Pawtucketville neighborhood across the Howe Bridge and to Lowell City Hall on June 3.[32]

Lynn

A rally was held on July 4 to remember George Floyd and demand change for the Lynn police department.[33]

New Bedford

A group of about twenty-five people began peacefully marching around the city in the early afternoon on Saturday, May 30. The crowd gradually grew to a size of almost one hundred protesters, until one of the leaders asked the crowd to disperse at around 9:30 pm and begin again the next day. A second, smaller crowd gathered and resumed protesting the following morning.[34]

Newton

On Sunday, May 31, hundreds of people peacefully protested at the lawn of Newton City Hall. Mayor of Newton Ruthanne Fuller, School Committee Chairwoman Ruth Goldman, and City Council President Susan Albright were also in attendance.[35] On Thursday, June 4, hundreds of people participated in a second peaceful protest starting at the West Newton police station, in which the participants blocked traffic on Washington Street by kneeling in both directions on the street, chanting “George Floyd, say his name,” “Breonna Taylor, say her name,” and “Hands up, don't shoot.”[36] The demonstrators then marched down Washington Street and eventually reached City Hall in Newton Centre, where they concluded their protest. On June 7, a protest started on the Boston College campus in Chestnut Hill, near the Chestnut Hill Reservoir. This protest targeted the Newton Police Department, and continued along Commonwealth Avenue to City Hall, some 3 miles down the road.

Northampton

On June 1, more than 1,000 people flooded Center Street protesting against police brutality outside the city's police station. A police cruiser's windshield was smashed, the flag in front of the police station was found burned, and some protesters wrote in chalk and spray paint on the police station resulting in multiple protestors being pepper-sprayed.[37] On June 6, "thousands of people" gathered again at the Northampton Police Station to protest police brutality. Both the Northampton Police Chief and the Mayor of Northampton offered to kneel with protest organizers, but were denied.[38] Despite a large presence of police departments of nearby localities and the Massachusetts State Police, the protest resulted in no violence and no arrests; once the protest mostly dissipated, noted local paper Daily Hampshire Gazette, the day ended with a dance party in the downtown streets.[39]

Oaks Bluff

On May 31, scores of people protested at Waban Park on Martha's Vineyard. The mother of Danroy Henry, who was shot by Pleasantville police in 2010, said "nothing has changed" since then.[40]

Quincy

On June 2, nearly 4,500 people held a vigil at Quincy Center in honor of George Floyd before taking part in an hour-long march down Hancock Street.[41]

Salem

A peaceful crowd gathered on May 29 in front of the police station in Salem.[42] Another protest was held in the town common on June 6.[43]

Shelburne Falls

On June 6, protestors met at the middle of the Iron Bridge and kneeled for nine minutes to honor Floyd.[30]

South Hadley

On June 7, over 230 demonstrators attended a vigil for racial justice on College Street.[44]

Springfield

Several hundred people peacefully protested outside of the city police's headquarters on Friday, May 29.[45] On June 6, more than 100 people gathered at Court Square, where a prayer was said, to peacefully walk towards and demonstrate at the Springfield police station. More demonstrators added to the gathering at street intersections.[46]

Stoughton

On July 4, protesters peacefully marched from Faxon Park to town hall in support of Black Lives Matter.[19]

Taunton

A protest was planned to take place on the evening of June 4. Following the looting that occurred in the Brockton protest a few days earlier, many Taunton businesses boarded up their doors and windows in preparation,[47] and several helicopters and National Guard forces remained on standby around the city once the protest began. A group of about six-hundred people gathered outside of the First Parish Church across from the city's police station in the early afternoon, before most relocated to the nearby city green space, where many encouraged police officers to take a knee in solidarity. Once the officers did so, most protesters dispersed without incident.[48]

Worcester

On June 1, thousands of people peacefully participated in a march from the City Hall commons area to the courthouse.[49] Hours later, a group of protesters in the Main South neighborhood met a police barricade, which led to the crowd being dispersed into two directions. A group that continued down main street were said to have set off fireworks and thrown rocks at officers, leading to tear gas and rubber bullets being fired into a crowd of about seventy people. Multiple people were taking into custody and at least one business was reported looted.[50] On June 6, hundreds gathered in Worcester Common to demonstrate.[51]

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References
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  2. Goldberg, Michelle (May 29, 2020). "Opinion - America Is a Tinderbox". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 30, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
  3. Connors, Michael (May 30, 2020). "Protest held outside of Amherst Police Station". Daily Hampshire Gazette.
  4. Merzbach, Scott (June 12, 2020). "Black youths lead anti-racism rally in Amherst". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
  5. Treffeisen, Beth. "Cape joins in nationwide protests over George Floyd's death". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  6. "Protesters Clash With Officers Outside Boston Police Station". Boston CBS Local. May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  7. "Video captures protesters, Boston Police clashing outside South End precinct". WCVB News. May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
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  9. "Here's what 6 protesters experienced at Sunday's George Floyd protests | Boston.com". www.boston.com. Retrieved 2020-06-08.
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  13. "In Franklin Park March, Protesters Call For Action Amidst Somber Reflection". www.wbur.org.
  14. "'It Ain't Over': Thousands Protest Police Brutality On Boston Common". www.wbur.org.
  15. "Hundreds Gather In Jamaica Plain And Roslindale As Vigils And Protests Continue". www.wbur.org.
  16. "MBTA board orders that buses won't transport police to protests, protesters to police". Retrieved 2020-06-08.
  17. "Protesters Marching to Boston City Hall With Call to Decrease Police Funding". NBC Boston. June 10, 2020.
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  20. Correspondent, Lucas Phillips Globe (July 5, 2020). "500-foot 'Black Lives Matter' street mural painted in Nubian Square - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2020-07-06.
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  27. Jordan Mazza (June 1, 2020). "Fall River residents make a statement with peace walk". ABC6 News.
  28. Bonner, Michael (May 29, 2020). "In wake of George Floyd's death, peaceful protests pop up across Massachusetts, from Boston to Springfield". MassLive. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  29. Bryne, Mary (31 May 2020). "'Justice for George Floyd' rally gathers at Greenfield Common". Greenfield Recorder. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  30. Bryne, Mary (6 June 2020). "'We are here for justice': Protesters take to Greenfield, Shelburne Falls streets". Greenfield Recorder. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  31. "'Your fight es mi lucha': Demonstrators turn out in droves for rally, vigil in Holyoke". Daily Hampshire Gazette. 2020-06-02. Retrieved 2020-06-06.
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  34. Spillane, Jack (May 30, 2020). "New Bedford protest supports 'black lives' in wake of Minnesota man's death". southcoasttoday.com.
  35. Fisher, Jenna (June 1, 2020). "I Hear You. Black Lives Matter: Newton Mayor To Protesters". patch.com.
  36. Cohen, Julie (June 4, 2020). "Crowds protest racial injustice in front of Newton Police Station (with videos)". newton.wickedlocal.com.
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  40. Saltzberg, Rich (May 31, 2020). "Floyd killing sparks Oak Bluffs rally". The Martha's Vineyard Times. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  41. "Thousands gather in Quincy Center to protest, march". The Patriot Ledger. June 2, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
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  47. Scott Cook (June 4, 2020). "Downtown Taunton boarded up ahead of Thursday protests". ABC 6 News. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  48. Amanda Hoskins (June 4, 2020). "Taunton protest remains peaceful, officers kneel to end the night". NBC 10 News. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  49. McCarthy, Christine (June 1, 2020). "Thousands participate in solidarity protest in Worcester". Boston 25 News. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
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