Copyright The Boston Globe
Anti-abortion demonstrators gathered Saturday in Boston for a protest called the National Men’s March. The event began at 11 a.m. outside the offices of Planned Parenthood on Commonwealth Avenue and there is a scheduled march to the Boston Common. Once the marchers reach the Common, they plan to gather at the Parkman Bandstand for a rally. At about 10:30, about a dozen men dressed in formal wear gathered outside the Planned Parenthood facility, some praying to themselves and holding rosary beads. Nearby, a group of men and women who oppose abortion recited a prayer in Spanish. Another woman passed through the crowd and chanted: “My body, my choice! Abortion is health care!” Last year, nine people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct after they clashed with the demonstrators. Advertisement The 2024 event occurred shortly after President Trump’s reelection and reflected the high stakes many placed in women’s reproductive rights since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade three years ago. During his first term, Trump installed three Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the landmark court ruling that affirmed a woman’s right to an abortion. By 10:40 a.m. on Saturday, a band had arrived with some members wearing berets and large drums slung across their shoulders or worn like a front-facing backpack. Others carried bagpipes, in full Scottish regalia. A handful of volunteers in bright pink vests stood guard in front of the clinic as the ranks of the anti-abortion demonstrators swelled. Jaime Moore-Carrillo can be reached at jaime.moore-carrillo@globe.com. Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her @lauracrimaldi.
