Here’s what happened at the anti-Trump protest

Over 4,500 Bostonians gathered in Boston Common last night to protest the election of Donald Trump.

The protests were organized and led by Boston’s chapter of Socialist Alternative, a group originally founded in 2013 to campaign for the election of Seattle’s Kshama Sawant, an independent socialist.

At the Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common, Boston’s politically frustrated citizens were abuzz with the catharsis of hope. Their cheers were audible all the way from the Boylston MBTA station, where more poured in to join.

Two state police helicopters circled the Common as the group continued to grow in size. There was heavy police presence along sidewalks and near the protest site.

The pungent smell of cigarette smoke, weed and alcohol filled the air.

“When immigrant lives are under attack, what do we do?” organizers shouted.

“Stand up! Fight back!” their rapt audience screamed.

The call-back cheer was repeated and recycled to defend black, native, female and LGBT+ lives.

Abruptly, the rally’s focus shifted: “Fuck Donald Trump! Fuck Donald Trump!” chanted organizers and crowd members alike. Other anti-Trump chants that echoed throughout the event included “Not my president,” “Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go,” and “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA.”

Having energized the crowd, organizers began introducing speakers, including but not limited to members of Revere Immigrant Support for Education, Fight for $15 and Black Lives Matter. Their speeches were met with great emotion: tears fell and cheers flew simultaneously.

After their presentations, Boston Socialist Alternative pitched their platform. As former Bernie Sanders supporters, they are frustrated with not only the Republican Party, but also the Democratic Party establishment. They called for the creation of a new party, “for the 99%, for the working class, for immigrants, for mothers, for minorities.”

They announced they would lead the assembled protestors to the Massachusetts State House and then through the streets of Boston to Copley Square.

But first, they recited a poem written by Assata Shakur:

It is our duty to fight for our freedom.
It is our duty to win.
We must love each other and support each other.
We have nothing to lose but our chains.

The crowd, while continuing to chant,  proceeded to snake its way from the Common to the State House and then down Boylston, which was blocked off by police cars.

Some of their chants included, “Say it loud; say it clear; refugees are welcome here,” “Black lives matter,” “Muslims are Americans, too,” “Pussy grabs back,” and a call-response cheer in which men would shout, “Their bodies, their choice,” and women would scream, “My body, my choice,” in reply.

As protesters reached Copley Square and Newbury Street, marchers whooped and cheered at the sight of shop owners and church goers, who had convened to support them.

Some cars and taxis ended up parked in the middle of the street as protesters continued their trek. Other vehicles cautiously went to the side of the street, slowly making their way from intersection to intersection.

Boston residents and other supporters of the protest lined the streets as marchers went by. Only a handful of Trump supports showed up, and except for interjecting a few thoughts here and there, kept to themselves. Some young people were even hanging out of the windows above shops on Newbury Street.

Photographers were perched throughout the route, balancing on trashcans, flower pots and hanging onto light poles.

The march looped back to the Common. The pace slowed as protesters carefully crossed the Common’s bridge.

The route ended back at the bandstand. Many members of the protest left during the march, but more than a thousand remained.

The protest remained peaceful, which pleased the Boston police officers monitoring the event.

“No violence,” said a Boston police officer. “It’s been great.”

A few speeches closed out the night around 9:00 p.m.