Photos: Violence gives way to peace in Boston
Hundreds of protestors on Wednesday laid face-down for a die-in on Boston Common for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, in solidarity with the time officer Derek Chauvin knelt on the neck of George Floyd, resulting in his death.
Protestors stood behind a fence on the corner of Beacon St. in front of the State House on Wednesday, during a peaceful protest in the wake of the murder of George Floyd.
Hundreds of protestors marched up Bowdoin St. towards the State House during Wednesdays protests.
Four members of the National Guard and one member of the Military Police stood guard at the edge of Wednesday’s protests.
Four protestors took the lead of Wednesday’s Black Lives Matter protests, leading chants and cheers from the hundreds of protestors in the crowd.
A woman in a car raised her fist in solidarity with protestors on Wednesday as she and another person drive past the peaceful march on Tremont St.
A protestor chanted, “Hands up, don’t shoot!” as the group marched towards the State House during Wednesday’s Black Lives Matter protests.
Hundreds of protestors held up their signs at the conclusion of Wednesday’s protests on Boston Common.
A man urged protestors to continue their march by exiting Boston Common and marching down Tremont St. during Wednesday’s protests.
Two men screamed chants from the Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common during Wednesday’s protests.
Organizers staging a “die-in” outside the Park Street MBTA station.
An officer held his phone up to record protestors as they walked past the State House Wednesday, the third day of protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis.
Black Lives Matter protestors chant as they walked up Bowdoin St. approaching the State House.
A member of the National Guard stood watching protestors as they marched down Tremont St. during Wednesday’s protests.
Leaders of Wednesday’s Black Lives Matter protests lead hundreds of protestors through Boston Common at the conclusion of the afternoon’s planned event.
Protestors took turns sharing information about black inequality and change during Wednesday’s continued protests against police brutality.
A woman holding an inflated red heart at Boston’s third day of protests in response to the police killing of George Floyd.
National Guardsmen stood off of Tremont Street, prepared to keep protesters off of side roads.
A woman stood among hundreds at a protest Wednesday on Boston Common, the third of day of protests in Boston since the killing of Minnesota man George Floyd.
National Guardsmen stood in large groups by the Park Street MBTA station, watching the peaceful protest in the Common.
Protesters marched through the Common Wednesday night, most outfitted with face masks.
Matthew Burchfield, a member of the group Socialist Alternative and one of the organizers of the rally called on city and state officials to defund police and fund other social programs.
Speakers lead a chant of “I can’t breathe,” which were some of George Floyd’s last words as he died under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.
Thousands gathered in the Common Wednesday for Boston’s third night of protests in the past week.
Thousands converged on Boston Common Wednesday afternoon for a third day of protests following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for over eight minutes on May 25. Protestors remained peaceful for the entirety of the gathering, and there were no arrests, police said.
Demonstrators initially met near the steps leading from Boston Common to the State House on Beacon Street before marching through the Common and around the Frog Pond before disbursing. Once the planned protest formally ended, several participants in the rally paraded down Tremont Street to City Hall Plaza, before finishing in front of the State House.
The rally concluded with an 8 minute and 46 second die-in, the same amount of time Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck, as protestors laid face-down in the grass. Around 6 p.m., event leaders encouraged people to go home, urging peace instead of violence. By 6:30 p.m., the Common was mostly clear of protesters.
Wednesday afternoon’s demonstration came in the wake of an at times tense standoff between protesters and members of the media outside the State House Tuesday night. On Sunday, a peaceful march from Roxbury to the State House turned the streets into a war zone after dark. Over 30 people were arrested, and at least seven police officers were injured during the violence.
Lizzie Heintz was born in London, England, but spent most of her childhood in Houston, Tx. She is currently serving as the Beacon's Deputy Feature Photo Editor and is completing her junior year at Emerson College. She previously worked as the Assistant Photo Editor in fall 2019, as well as interned as a writer and photographer for the Somerville Times. Her work covering Boston's Straight Pride was published by VICE, and she continues to work as a...
Parker served as Managing Editor, News Editor, and Senior Reporter at The Beacon. They graduated from the college with a journalism degree in December 2020. Parker is currently an Associate Reporter with Bloomberg Law. Based in Washington, DC, Parker previously worked for Law360, The Associated Press, and the Boston Globe.
