The weather was clear and cool and all was calm in Boston’s Theater District Sept. 27 — except for the beeping, bumper-to-bumper traffic that started at Boylston Street and snaked down Tremont Street toward Boston’s Theater District. Boston police stood in the middle of Stuart Street around 7 p.m., beginning to divert traffic east and west — away from the section of Tremont Street containing Boston’s historic theaters. The traffic jam and diversion could be traced to Boston’s renowned Wang Theatre, where patrons lined the sidewalk to enter as protesters decorated the street outside, picketing against Hillary Clinton’s visit.
That night, the former United States secretary of state came to the Wang Theatre to discuss her new book, “Something Lost, Something Gained: Reflections on Life, Love, & Liberty,” which was set to begin at 7:30 p.m. While some attendees had just arrived, the protest outside the theater had been active since 6 p.m.
The picket was a collaborative effort between several organizations, including Emerson Students for Justice in Palestine, or SJP, Suffolk SJP and Jamaica Plain for Palestine, in an effort to make it known that Clinton was not welcome due to her being a “war criminal and fervent supporter of the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” and Instagram post announcing the protest said. The accusation can be traced back to Clinton’s previous role in U.S. foreign policy and controversial comments — like those regarding protesters — on the Israel-Hamas war.
While the protest surged outside the Wang Theatre, inside, Clinton was set to speak about politics and the future of the country along with facets of her personal life including the topics of aging and marriage. Her Boston stop was one of five cities of her book tour, which ends less than a month before Nov. 5 — the day of the U.S. presidential election.
While there was police present in the area, officers were distanced from the protest as they handled the blocking and rerouting of traffic. Lights from officers’ cars used to aid their roadblock efforts lit up the night sky while rally cries like “free, free, Palestine” echoed through the closed streets. Protesters marched outside the theater, making their voices heard in the Theater District as Boston’s busy nightlife bustled along.
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