Amid pouring rain and near-freezing temperatures, more than 40 protesters with Boylston Students for Justice for Palestine gathered in the beer garden in the Boston Common and made their way up Tremont Street to protest Israel’s breach of the ceasefire last week and United States support for their military. The group demanded an end to ground invasions, drone strikes, and U.S. fiscal aid.

The rally featured speeches, poetry readings, chants, an ascent up Tremont, and the burning of a dual Israeli and American flag, which drew the attention of the Boston Police Department. 

“The biggest threat in the world today is Israel and [the] U.S.A.,” one masked speaker said into a megaphone.

As the speech went on, some passersby joined the crowd. Organizers handed them masks as the group grew—a common practice of many pro-Palestine groups to protect identities.

“[Are you] in solidarity with those who kill for their land or those who die for their land?” one of the protest leaders asked the crowd, which was met with clapping and cheers.

One of those who had joined the protesters held a sign that read “MIT Jews oppose genocide.”

A slew of schools have participated in protests and encampments in the past year. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was one of many Boston universities that had an encampment, which led to the arrest of 10 protesters early last May. Emerson’s encampment in the 2B alley resulted in the arrest of 118 individuals last April. SJP is an international network of grassroots organizations, and many protests and tactics occur in tandem with one another.

After the speakers concluded, the protesters crossed over to the other side of Tremont and moved up from the beer garden in the boston common towards City Plaza. Along the way, various chants and songs rang out.

“Which side are you on, my people? Which side are you on?” a protester sang into the megaphone. “We’re on the people’s side,” the crowd yelled in response.

Along the route, some onlookers disagreed with the protest, while others showed their support. Bystanders raised thumbs in agreement or honked their car horns while others yelled at the crowd; “fuck outta here,” one said.

After passing the Boylston MBTA stop, Thinking Cup, and Suffolk University’s Smith Hall, the protest concluded at the Armed Forces Career Center Tremont, a building located between the two Park Street T stops. There, the group locked arms as a group as several protesters began to burn a two-sided flag, one side Israeli and the other American.

Openly burning items without permits is illegal in Boston under Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 48 Section 13. The action can result in a fine of no more than $500 plus the cost of suppression or arrest and jail time of up to a month.

While it is uncouth to burn an American flag, as per the flag code in the United States, it is not expressly prohibited in the Constitution as many people believe. As a result of Texas v. Johnson, the burning of the American flag is protected under First Amendment free speech protections.

This action brought the attention of a passing police wagon, which resulted in the group being approached by officers. While some BPD officers attempted to break through the crowd, their efforts were fruitless as protesters linked arms to hinder the two officers. A small push-pull broke out between the two parties before the officers walked away. 

In addition to five police wagons and three officers on foot, two plain-clothes officers walked parallel to the group on the other side of the street, according to the eyewitness account of a Beacon reporter. 

As five police wagons circled and parked around the Government Center train entrance, an estimated forty protesters boarded the Green Line and returned to campus.  

Despite windy conditions and pouring rain, the rally saw an ample turnout—a sign of their commitment to their cause, one masked protester said during the rally.

“We are here because our discomfort pales in comparison to the pain of the Palestinian people,” the speaker said.

This commitment was further evident the next day, March 25, when a small group of members affiliated with Boylston SJP circled around Emerson’s Visitor Center and handed out flyers to prospective Emersonians.

The flyers read “Welcome to Emerson College” before listing several statements of what students would be met with should they attend.

“If you protest on campus, you’ll be issued disciplinary actions.” the flyers read, along with other information about alleged lack of protection from the college.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the protesters faced disciplinary action.