Gathered outside the John F. Kennedy Federal Building in downtown Boston Jan. 20, hundreds of protesters rallied against President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day. Trump, who protesters said has an “extreme, far-right billionaire agenda,” was sworn in for his second presidential term and delivered his inaugural address at noon in the U.S. Capitol. Three hours later in downtown Boston, the We Fight Back rally encouraged protesters to rise against Trump’s agenda and stand up for the rights of the working class, immigrants, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
“Trump and his administration want to help big corporations and the ultra rich loot the government, destroy the planet and exploit the people,” We Fight Back’s website read. “But we can defeat the Trump program. Not by following the Democratic Party establishment, but by building a massive movement against the ruling class and the political system that gives everything to billionaires while impoverishing an ever larger section of the population.”
Protesters in Boston expressed grievances with Trump’s agenda, citing his foreign policy declarations as concerning. Trump expressed his interest in buying the Panama Canal during his inaugural address, accusing Panama of overcharging American ships, claiming the canal was falsely gifted — belonging to the United States — and threatening to take control of the ports. Panama President José Raúl Mulino rejected all claims made by the president.
“The rhetoric about the Panama Canal [in Trump’s inaugural address] scares me because I have family in Costa Rica,” protester Michael Williams said. “It’s frightening to think that any sort of territorial disputes could be happening. I think of my friends and those of my people who aren’t documented and have to keep an eye out. We’re protecting each other.”
Numerous organizations including the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Boston Coalition for Palestine organized the protest. Despite the freezing temperatures, thousands participated in We Fight Back rallies across the country on Inauguration Day, which was the same day as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This rare occurrence has only happened three times in the past.
Some protesters voiced concerns over Trump’s cabinet appointees, including Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and owner of the social media platform X, as the head of the new Department of Government Efficiency.
“It’s become very, very clear through the appointment of billionaires into Trump’s cabinet that his agenda is an extreme, far-right billionaire agenda,” Party for Socialism and Liberation member and protester Maddie Dery said. “I think we as working people don’t think that billionaires should be the ones who decide our futures, our faith or what to do with our tax dollars.”
