Men’s March counter-protesters arrested

By Emily Champagne 

Boston Police reported 17 people were arrested for blocking the anti-abortion Men’s March on Saturday. 

The National Men’s March to Abolish Abortion and Rally for Personhood began as thousands of people marched to the Boston Common. Many believe this march protested “for the murder of our preborn children,” a message frequently seen on signs scattered during the event. 

As the march approached Kenmore Square, many attendees were met by hundreds of counter protesters that intercepted and caused chaos. According to officers on the scene, the crowd was unruly, pushing back at police officers trying to get through.

As a result, the police took 17 people aged 18 to 52 into custody. 

The residents of many New England states, including Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, were charged with either disorderly conduct, unlawful assembly or in some cases, both. 

Since the event, the courts offered most of the counter protesters a tentative agreement to drop all charges, contingent on the protesters’ completion of nearly 40 hours of community service. 

One of the people arraigned on a disorderly conduct charge was Riley Dowell, the daughter of US Representative Katherine Clark. In 2023, Dowel was charged with assault when she was caught spray painting the Parkman Bandstand. She allegedly flailed and struck an officer, causing a serious nosebleed. 

The National Men’s March was one of the first scale demonstrations in the city of Boston since Donald Trump beat Vice President Kamala for President two weeks ago. 

Many believe that abortion rights are on the line with Trump taking power next January. In press releases, Trump has said he would not endorse a federal ban on abortion, leaving the issue up to the states themselves. 

This could put millions of women worldwide in danger.