BOSTON — A sea of demonstrators flooded Boston Common for the “No Kings” rally today, a centerpiece of a nationwide day of protest opposing what organizers describe as authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration. The Boston event ran from noon to 3 p.m., part of more than 100 gatherings in Massachusetts and over 2,600 events across the U.S., according to organizers.
Homemade placards dotted the crowd on the Common, including ones which stated: “The power of the people is greater than the people in power,” “ICE can melt,” and “No Kings, No Nazis, No Fascists.”
One attendee wearing a sign that read, “They fought fascists, and like them, there comes a time when silence is betrayal,” featuring images of a Nazi above and Martin Luther King below, told News Link Live, “I think too many of us have left words unspoken. There are too many of us who are not here, who need to be out here speaking…If we don’t speak out, we’re complicit.”
The tone of the protest in Boston was described as peaceful, with organizers emphasizing de-escalation and lawful dissent. Nationally, the protesters voiced concerns about issues including deportations, federal overreach, and suppression of dissent — citing actions like large-scale immigration sweeps, deployment of federal law enforcement in cities, and drone surveillance of demonstrators.
Speakers in Boston included Mayor Michelle Wu, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, and ACLU of Massachusetts Executive Director Carol Rose. Addressing the crowd, Wu said, “In this city on a hill, in this city of champions, in this city of immigrants and workers, in this hub of the universe and liberty for the last 250 years and counting — in Boston, every day is no King’s Day. In Boston, every day is a good day to fight for our families and our future.”
Boston police reported no arrests and the rally wrapped up around 3 p.m. The event’s organizers estimated the crowd at about 100,000.
Over a thousand people attended the No Kings Rally in Ipswich, MA. You can see dozens of their posters at https://historicipswich.net/2025/10/18/no-kings-ipswich/