News Local News

PHOTOS: Thousands March in "Families Belong Together" Protest in Boston

Chants of "Where is Charlie Baker?" could be heard as demonstrators marched by the Massachusetts State House.

Meredith Nierman is the Director of Photography for GBH.

July 01, 2018

Updated November 08, 2023

A relentless summer sun and 92 degree temperatures didn't stop thousands of demonstrators who rallied at City Hall Plaza and then marched to the Boston Common as part of a nationwide "Families Belong Together" protest against President Trump’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policies, including the recently ended practice of separating children from their parents. Numerous local organization representatives as well as U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy, Jr. joined the demonstrators in calls for an end to zero-tolerance policies on immigration.

By late morning, City Hall Plaza was full of demonstrators. Boston Police estimated about 5,000 people participated in the event, though organizers said it exceeded 15,000.

(Required) — Demonstrators marched from City Hall Plaza to the Boston Common.

An eight year old from Medford, Massachusetts, holds up a sign that reads, "Families deserve to be united."

A sign evoking the theme song from the PBS children's television show "Mr. Rogers."

Many signs were directed at President Trump's policies, including this one that demanded stricter gun laws while calling for an end to the president's travel ban.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for ICE, the federal immigration and customs enforcement agency to be replaced. "The President's deeply immoral actions have made it obvious. We need to rebuild our immigration system from top to bottom, starting by replacing ICE with something that reflects our morality and that works," Warren said.

Rep. Joe Kennedy and Sen. Edward Markey also spoke to the crowd gathered at City Hall Plaza.

With temperatures well into the 90s, a mother and her daughter from Mattapan found shade under the trees.

The marched wound through downtown Boston en route to the Boston Common.

(Required) — Children were seen throughout the crowd as many families participated in the demonstration.

A woman carrying an early version of the American flag marches down Beacon Street towards the Boston Common.

Chants of "Where is Charlie Baker?" could be heard as demonstrators marched by the Massachusetts State House.

A demonstrator raises a cut-out sign evoking Lady Liberty.

(Required) — One of the hundreds of homemade signs demonstrators brought to the event.

A demonstrator reacted to the first lady, recalling FLOTUS' recent wardrobe choice to wear a jacket with the message, "I really don't care. Do u?" on the back when she traveled to Texas to visit children held at the border.

As the second part of the event took place on the Common, a man holds up a sign stating, "Prejudice Equals Cowardice."

Meredith Nierman is the Director of Photography for GBH.

Explore Topics:

Become a GBH sponsor

What matters to you.

© 2024 WGBH. All rights reserved.

Our Partners