By Grace Cowell
On Saturday, June 14, MAPA joined millions nationwide, joining in one of over 2,000 “No Kings Day” protests. This national effort served to counter President Trump’s Washington, D.C. military parade on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which also happened to be his 79th birthday.
Boston’s protest coincided with the city’s annual Pride for the People Parade, drawing an estimated crowd of about 1 million people. The joint event, labeled “No Kings, but Yaaas Queen” by Mass 50501, called upon attendees to make Pride a protest again by standing up against the tyrannical Trump Administration.
MAPA focused on bringing the ongoing genocide in Gaza and recent escalations following Israeli strikes on Iran last Friday to the forefront of our messaging. After flyering the crowd prior to the parade, MAPA, marching alongside members of fellow pro-Palestine groups, carried banners through the streets displaying messages such as “No War With Iran,” “Ceasefire Now,” and “Stopping Genocide is Not Antisemitic.”
Along the route from Copley Square through the South End and back toward Boston Common, marchers shouted a series of chants, including “No pride in genocide” and “ICE out of Boston.” Members of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) further engaged with the crowd during the march as they handed out flyers to those lining the streets. Our contingent was met with widespread support, as spectators cheered at the sight of the banners and joined in chanting, many waving Palestinian flags or holding their own related signs.
The day served as a reminder of the true meaning of Pride: a celebration of queer existence and of not only the progress that the LGBTQ+ community has made, but the ongoing fight for equality. Over the years, mainstream Pride parades and festivities have become somewhat of corporate spectacles, with billion dollar companies flashing rainbow logos for the month of June and major fashion brands releasing Pride themed collections. The combination of No Kings and Pride rejected this performative narrative and instead platformed the struggle for freedom amongst all marginalized groups in the U.S. and abroad.
Boston was not the only hub in Massachusetts for No Kings Day– thousands of others demonstrated all over the Commonwealth, including in Framingham, Worcester, and out in Western Mass in cities such as Northampton and Pittsfield.
While Trump claimed the military parade stood to represent the country’s resilience and accomplishments, perhaps the greatest uniting force of Americans that day was not Trump and the military, but rather the sense of community and solidarity felt by the millions who joined together in standing up against the President.
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Grace Cowell is a MAPA legislative intern and a student at Northeastern University.
