Boston ‘ICE Out Everywhere’ protest must-see moments

Local News

“We have to show up in every way for our immigrant siblings and all vulnerable communities in Massachusetts. It’s imperative,” one protester said.

Boston Common was the scene of a powerful protest Saturday that drew thousands of demonstrators for the “ICE Out Everywhere” rally, calling for an end to state and local cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and stronger protections for immigrant communities.

Organized by a coalition of local advocacy groups — Mass 50501, UU Mass Action, Indivisible Mass Coalition, Boston PSL, and MEJA — the event brought together activists, students, community leaders, and residents in a show of solidarity with nationwide actions.

The Boston protest was part of a broader “National Shutdown” and “ICE Out Everywhere” campaign taking place across more than 300 cities nationwide this weekend, inspired in part by the recent deaths of ICU nurse Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis by ICE agents.

Pretti’s death drew outrage across the nation, but it felt particularly personal to nurse Jen Martin.

“To see what they did to another nurse that was trying to help a woman that was injured is disgusting and inhumane,” Martin said. “I could see myself wanting to help someone, and to get shot in the back multiple times is disgusting.”

The rally officially began at 11:30 a.m. in front of the State House, with participants braving chilly winter temperatures dipping well-below freezing. Large crowds held handmade signs, clustered around speakers who took turns addressing the gathering. Good Trouble Brass Band, a not-for-profit band based out of Somerville, played upbeat music on the State House steps. 

Several community leaders and grassroots organizers delivered remarks throughout the midday event. Among the key themes were calls for nonviolent resistance, mutual aid, and accountability from local and state officials. 

“We want to see Gov. Healey and the legislature do everything in their power. Some of the announcements this week are great, but keep going, make them as strong as possible,” said Karl Claire Miller, an organizer with Unitarian Universalist Mass Action. 

“We have to show up in every way for our immigrant siblings and all vulnerable communities in Massachusetts. It’s imperative,” Miller added.

‘There are just so many references to 1930s Germany’ 

For many protesters, the current political climate and nationwide mass deportations felt eerily reminiscent of 1930s Europe.

“We’re seeing people being murdered in the streets, pretty literally, and just general brutality coming from our government,” said protester Emma Boland. “We’re seeing children and families forcibly separated and pretty much what happened in Germany in the 40s, so can’t just sit by and let that happen.” 

For protester Stewart Haviland, it was personal; he held a sign with his uncle’s picture, who had been killed at the Battle of the Bulge during WWII.

“We really feel we’re living under a fascist government slowly disassembling our democracy,” he said. 

“It’s just so obvious history is repeating itself,” he added. “There are just so many references to 1930s Germany and the build up to the Nazi regime. It’s just amazing that people are allowing this to happen.” 

Like Haviland, demonstrator Hubert Murray had personal connections to WWII that inspired him to show up for the Saturday event. Murray said his parents lived through fascism in Europe and hosted refugees in their house during the 1930s and 1940s. Now, he said he sees that era of Europe coming to America.

“What is going on in this country at the moment in Minneapolis and elsewhere in Maine is absolutely horrendous,” Murray added.

‘This nation was built on immigrants’

Lisa Davis, a first-generation American, said the issue feels deeply personal to her as a child of immigrants.

“This nation was built on immigrants, and so it’s ironic that they’re trying to stop that,” she said. “I believe that citizens of Boston need to make ourselves heard and support our neighbors and do anything we can to stop this horrible ICE infiltration in our cities.”

ICE action has been ramping up in Massachusetts over the last year, with the agency conducting a sweeping arrest of more than 1,400 alleged undocumented people in the state under “Operation Patriot 2.0.”

On Thursday, Healey announced she would introduce a bill preventing ICE from operating in “sensitive places,” such as churches, health care facilities, and schools.

About a dozen Boston Teachers Union members gathered in Saturday’s crowd, wearing matching jackets and holding paddles that read “solidarity.” BTU President Erik Berg said he hopes the protest gives others the courage to “stand up to the rising tide of dictatorship” in the U.S. 

“Every child is deserving of a great education, is deserving of health care, is deserving of access to what this country has to offer,” he said. “The fact that they’re being denied it through violence and terror is anathema to everything that we stand for, as teachers and as trade unionists.” 

Former social worker Nancy Hubbard said reports of children being separated from their families have devastated her, compelling her to join the protest. 

“It absolutely keeps me up at night hearing about children being taken from their parents,” Hubbard said. “To me, it falls under the category of child abuse.” 

Chants echoed across the Common with phrases such as “Hey, hey, ho, ho, deportation has got to go!” and “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe!” as protesters gathered to listen to the speakers.

Bill Torcaso, a Cambridge resident, said he has attended dozens of protests over the past four years, driven by a desire to help grow the movement and draw larger crowds.

“I’m here in support of what I see as the bedrock principle of all these protests, which is equal justice under law,” Torcaso said. “ICE and immigration and all other aspects of it still don’t fall under equal justice under law.” 

Local businesses across New England also participated in supportive actions, with some closing or offering solidarity in various ways. 

Boston police were present around the edges of the Common to monitor the event and ensure it remained peaceful. No major incidents were reported.

As the rally began to disperse in the early afternoon, many attendees stayed to network, share resources, and plan future actions.

Organizers and demonstrators emphasized that Saturday’s gathering was just one step in ongoing efforts to influence public policy and community solidarity throughout Massachusetts. 

“I think it’s really easy to feel hopeless right now,” protester Manoela Dos Santos said. “Protests like this show that we can come out and gather in our cities. It’s really meaningful to have a say in what’s happening.”