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Large crowd converges on Boston Common for ‘Hands Off!’ protest

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Large crowd converges on Boston Common for ‘Hands Off!’ protest


The crowd quickly grew Saturday morning as protestors gathered around the Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common for a “Hands Off!” rally and march. Organizers said they expected 25,000 people to attend.

The Boston event was one of more than 1,200 “Hands Off!” demonstrations planned nationwide in opposition to President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, and the administration’s actions on government downsizing, the economy, human rights and other issues.

“We are here to protect our immigrant neighbors, to protect transgender family kin, and to really say we believe in true democracy,” said Claire Carl Miller, who helped organize Boston’s protest as part of the Unitarian Universalist Mass Action Network.

“It’s incredibly important to send a message to everyone across this nation that we can come together, united, and be inspired, hold joy for a vision of true democracy,” Miller added.

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Angela Burgess, a researcher at Dana Farber, attended Saturday’s “Hands Off” rally on Boston.


Phillip Martin


GBH News

Participants’ motivations to come out Saturday were wide-ranging.

Patricia Cooney drove down from Andover with a sign that read, “hands off our social security.” She told GBH News she is worried how the administration’s actions are going to impact her family.

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“I have a disabled daughter who’s on Supplemental Security Income, and my husband and I are grandparents raising a grandson and he’s on MassHealth,” she shared. “My husband and I both still work, and we’ve created the structures necessary to support the situation in our family and this is very impactful for us.”

Protester Kate Merritt O’Toole said she was fortunate to retire after working for 40 years as an operating room nurse in Boston hospitals, including 12 years at a VA hospital. Now she is concerned about what her retirement will look like, and whether the people she used to care for will have enough support.

“Social Security is a concern,” she said, then adding to her list, “Medicare, reimbursement for research, care for our veterans, shutting back on programs for our veterans who are vulnerable and have mental health issues.”

View of Tremont Street in Boston as a large crowd marches from Boston Common to Boston City Hall.

Crowd moving down Tremont Street toward Boston City Hall as part of “Hands Off” rally on Saturday, April 5, 2025.


Robert Goulston


GBH News

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The protest began at 11 a.m. with Massachusetts AFL-CIO president Chrissy Lynch speaking to demonstrators at the Parkman Bandstand.

A sea of protest signs seemed endless as protesters then marched out of the Common, down Tremont Street and into Boston City Hall Plaza.

Outside City Hall, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey joined Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and other political figures and activists in giving remarks to the crowd. The protest also included a performance from the Dropkick Murphys.

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A protester in a park holds a sign that mimics the Dunkin colors and says "America runs on immigrants."

Boston woman holding a pro-immigration sign inspired by Dunkin’ slogan.


Robert Goulston


GBH News

Corey Sung, holding a Federal Unionists Network banner, marched alongside a coalition of federal workers. He works at Boston’s State Department passport office.

“For us, individual agencies are under attack all across the country,” he said. “Recently, we lost our collective bargaining rights. And this affected both our office here and over a million federal workers all across the country, so it’s time for us to start taking a stand against what’s happening against our services that we provide our communities.”

Maya Debettencourt, a college student studying in South Carolina, came with her mother.

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“I’m really inspired by the amount of people who are out here today. Lots of really good signs. And I think it’s especially a good demonstration of what democracy really is,” Debettencourt said.

Janice Maloof, of Marshfield, said she is in a same-sex marriage, and they are teaching their two children to be accepting and inclusive.

“If everybody’s kind, I don’t think we would have a lot of these problems,” she said.





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Boston, MA

Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe

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Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe


Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.

“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”

In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.

“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”

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Here’s the preview:

RED SOX (1-0): TBA

Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray

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REDS (0-1): TBA

Pitching: RHP Brady Singer

Time: 4:10 p.m.

TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7

Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7

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Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2

Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.

Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.


Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.





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Mayor Robert Van Campen talks about priorities in Everett

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Mayor Robert Van Campen talks about priorities in Everett


Nearly three months since assuming office as mayor of Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Robert Van Campen isn’t wasting any time.

The former city councilor ousted 18-year incumbent Carlo DeMaria in decisive fashion last November, but even so, issues surrounding his predecessor still linger at City Hall.

A state-led salary audit of DeMaria found $180,000 in overpayment, a finding the former mayor disputes. Van Campen says the city is monitoring ongoing investigations.

“What I’ve conveyed to my partners in government here, locally, is to allow that state process to play itself out, and then we, as a community, will make a decision,” the mayor said. “In addition to that, I recently met with Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, who visited me at City Hall. We had a great conversation about transparency in government, best practices, putting in the right systems to ensure that that type of financial oversight doesn’t happen in the future.”

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Beyond the audit, Van Campen is placing emphasis on school overcrowding.

“My objective is to try to implement solutions as quickly as I can,” he said. “Our high school today, which was built for I think 1,650 students, now houses around 2,200.”

The World Cup is creating buzz across Massachusetts, including in Everett, where the Kraft Group is looking to build a soccer stadium.

To alleviate that problem, the mayor is using federal ARPA funds to repair the old Everett High School and seeking out other spaces that could be used in the future.

“Would I like to build out new classroom space for the students of Everett in the next one to two years? Yes, that’s my ideal,” Van Campen said. “But I want to make sure that if we do it on a quick timeline, it’s done in a correct and proper fashion.”

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Also in focus for the mayor is a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution on the shores of the Mystic River.

The Kraft Group, Boston, Everett and the state Legislature have all taken steps to make the project a reality, but Van Campen says there’s still more work to do.

“It’s a transformative project, it’s a breathtaking project,” said Van Campen. “But I’ve been clear with all the stakeholders around that project, and the other larger developments going on down there, that we have to make sure that transit issues are comprehensively addressed, that pedestrian access issues are comprehensively addressed, that all those issues have to be addressed to perfection in order for these projects to succeed.”

Tune in on Sunday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Van Campen.

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Boston ‘No Kings’ rally expected to draw 100,000; others planned across Mass.

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Boston ‘No Kings’ rally expected to draw 100,000; others planned across Mass.


“No Kings” rallies are scheduled in Boston and across Massachusetts on Saturday and are expected to draw large crowds, organizers said.

Organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, and Mass 50501, the event is a mass mobilization in protest of the Trump administration.

The No Kings theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.

“The Trump administration is trying to shred the Constitution; the No Kings movement is an unequivocal statement that we, the people, will not let that happen. This will be the third global No Kings Day, and it’s not just about protesting what’s wrong—it’s about building something better. We intend to show our power, build our power, and power a democracy that advances freedom, equality, justice, and dignity for all,” organizers wrote.

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The rally, one of thousands scheduled across the country this weekend, is planned for the Boston Common from 2 to 4 p.m. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Boston’s rally. Other events are scheduled in Pittsfield, Northampton, Lancaster, Worcester, Framingham, Methuen, Lexington, and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape. For a map of No Kings events near you, click here.

Speakers include elected officials Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and civic leaders Hessann Farooqi Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, Darlene Lombos, president of the Greater Boston Labor Council, Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts, and others. It will be moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.

There will also be performances by the Dropkick Murphys, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, BVOCAL Chorus, and Jimmy Tingle.

A previous No Kings rally in October drew massive crowds estimated in the tens of thousands.

NBC10 Boston

NBC10 Boston

An aerial view of the crowd at Boston’s “No Kings” rally on the Common on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.

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