Hundreds of people thronged downtown Boston on Saturday to celebrate the defeat of President Donald Trump. A rally on Copley Square, originally organized as a push for a full vote count, turned into a victory party once Joe Biden’s win was announced.
Among those marking Trump’s loss was Jessica DeLuca of Waltham. DeLuca said she’d never taken part in a demonstration before, and hadn’t come to Boston with the aim of participating in this one. When she saw rally-goers marching down Boylston Street from Copley Square, she decided to join in.
“I’m so excited,” said DeLuca. “I can’t even put it into words. I’m just happy that it’s finally not Trump, honestly. The nightmare is over.”
Gabby Solce was on her lunch break in Downton Crossing as marchers made their way by. Solce, who is queer, spoke through tears as she explained that Trump’s loss and Biden’s victory hits her on a personal level.
“It’s been a long four years,” said Solce. “I’ve felt really marginalized, but I’m really happy we’re back in the conversation.”
The peaceful and jubilant march ended in Post Office Square, where organizers addressed the crowd in English and Spanish, emphasizing that there was more work to be done to improve the lot of immigrants, people of color, workers, and others who say they’ve felt targeted by the Trump administration.
Half a mile away on Beacon Hill, a separate demonstration took a more confrontational tone. A small group of Trump supporters gathered in front of the State House and came face to face with a larger crowd reveling in Trump’s loss. One of the president’s backers, Robert Scibilio of Scituate, was surrounded by taunting Trump opponents. He responded with taunts of his own, at one point telling them, “Don’t reproduce.” After leaving the scene, he lamented the election’s outcome.
“Nobody gives him [Trump] the respect or anything that he deserves,” said Scibilio. “It’s kind of sad. I feel like the country has failed me as a voter. I’ll be moving as soon as I can to a Republican state.”
Other Trump supporters in the crowd echoed the president’s false claims of electoral fraud. They were outnumbered by those who had come to mark the end of the Trump administration, including Madison Wilson of Boston. A Black woman, Wilson said she’s optimistic about a White House led by Biden and Kamala Harris.
“It just feels like our needs and wants for my community have been ignored,” said Wilson. “Specifically Black Lives Matter, police brutality, the overwhelming unemployment in the Black community. I feel like all of that has been pretty much ignored during the Trump administration. I’m hoping that the Biden and Kamala Harris administration will do better to voice our concerns and address them.”
GBH News' Esteban Bustillos contributed to this report.
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