Police line the street as the presidential motorcade passes by as pro-Palestinian supporters demonstrate against President Joe Biden's stance on Israel during a campaign stop in Boston on Tuesday. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
On Tuesday afternoon, about 100 protesters blocked traffic for nearly an hour at Seaport Crossing, near a fundraiser attended by President Joe Biden following his visit to Boston.
“He has abandoned the Palestinian people, he has abandoned his humanity, he has abandoned his constituency,” said a local organizer for the Party for Socialism and Liberation outside Gare du South, minutes before the presidential motorcade passed. one Naftali Crosby exclaimed. 30:30pm “And we're going to abandon you, Joe!”
The demonstration, organized by the Boston branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Boston Coalition for Palestine, began at 3:30 p.m. in front of the South Station entrance. After the motorcade passed, a group of demonstrators followed Mr. Biden's wake on Summer Street, stopping at the intersection of Congress and B Streets and circling until 5:45 p.m.
Biden flew into Boston on Tuesday morning after a campaign stop in Nashua, New Hampshire. The White House said in the president's schedule that he stopped at two campaign receptions in Boston, but did not specify the location of the receptions.
Boston police have warned of traffic disruptions and road closures near Logan International Airport, the Back Bay and the Seaport area from noon to 8 p.m. in connection with Tuesday's presidential visit.
Protesters said they intended to disrupt “Genocide Joe's” visit, citing a protest outside Boston's last fundraising event in December. sign
Tuesday's protest remained peaceful, but tensions flared intermittently between local pro-Israel counter-demonstrators, drivers and pedestrians. Several people carrying Israeli flags and wearing “(expletive) Hamas” shirts followed behind the group. At one point, a fight nearly broke out when a passerby spat on a protester's shoe and shoved the other's.
At the intersection, where cars on both streets remained stopped for much of the hour, a truck lay blaring its horn and residents in the area milled around yelling at and recording protesters.
“I can't imagine what they were thinking other than to piss people off,” said Joe Grant, who was standing on the side of the Seaport intersection discussing the group, which included expletives.
“Clearly we have made an impact,” Crosby said. “There is no way that people who were at a Joe Biden event celebrating decadence and wealth could ignore what was going on outside. At the end of the day, some people find us annoying, but even they help elevate our voice by expressing their anger and letting others know that this movement is happening, and that is not one to be afraid of or shy away from any kind of agitation.”
The crowd dispersed into the Seaport around 5:45 p.m., chanting, “We'll be back.” Boston police said no arrests were made during the protests.
