'No Kings' rally fills Boston Common, as thousands of other protests take place across the country

Across the country tens of thousands of people fed up with the Trump administration gathered to protest what they say is a cruel and corrupt regime.

The "No Kings" demonstrations took place in 2,600 cities, including a massive gathering in Boston that was part rally and part call to action, with more than a dozen organizations tabling for causes ranging from civil rights to climate change.

Rebecca Winter, executive director of Mass 50501, said from the rally on Boston Common that the event's goal is bigger than one protest on one day.

"The biggest hope for this event is that people don't just come and scream at the sky and go home," she said. "We want people to leave with tools of how they can stay involved with activism every single day."

Winter said that means teaching people how to stand up nonviolently to ICE officers, execute boycotts and pressure elected officials.

Demonstrators filled the Common, standing shoulder to shoulder from Boylston to Beacon streets. They came because, they say, they're sick of what's happening in their country. The spoke of immigration raids and

" I am here because it is just one absurd and horrific event after another, day after day," said Cathie Regan of Littleton."Watching people get taken off the street ... The erosion of our rights, health care, immigration. It's just one thing after another and I can't stand it."

Newton resident Demie Stathoplos came out in what she called a "patriotic chicken" costume — "in order to make sure that anybody who is looking at what we're doing as we gather today knows that this is peaceful and it is joyful."

Elected officials took the stage, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and state Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

"In this city on a hill, in this city of champions, in this city of immigrants and workers, in this hub of the universe and liberty for the last 250 years and counting —in Boston, every day is no King's Day," Wu told the crowd. "In Boston, every day is a good day to fight for our families and our future."

Wu called on those gathered to keep up the work.

" They want us isolated and divided, so keep coming together," she said. "Get involved, build up your community in any way that you can. There's no shortage of reasons these days to be angry or afraid, but look around you right now and you'll see tens of thousands of reasons to keep the faith and keep going. This is the America we know to be possible."

A small group protested Wu while she spoke but were quickly disbanded. There was no other visible opposition at the rally.

Warren told WBUR that the rally was an act of patriotism.

"Standing up for America, saying that we are not a country of kings, but we are a country where power is with the people, is truly the most patriotic thing we can do," she said. "And I'm glad to be here with so many patriots."

The many other cities with rallies included Worcester, Concord, Hingham, Provincetown and Mystic, Connecticut.

In Worcester, Rep. Jim McGovern said the citizens are the last check on Trump.

"The Congress, under this speaker, is AWOL. The courts have been packed with [Trump's] appointees," he said. "It’s the people who are going to have to stop this whatchamacallit in the White House."

McGovern slammed House Speaker Mike Johnson, who earlier in the week called the planned "No Kings" demonstrations the "hate America rally."

"What a dumb, stupid thing to say," McGovern said. "We are here because we love our country. We are here because we believe in the constitution and we love our  democracy so much that we think it's worth fighting for."

Many of those in Boston said it was heartening to be around so many people who want to see the world change and are ready to take action.

“ Coming to a rally is step one," said Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Mass. "Events like this can inspire people for that work, but it's knowing that there's so many additional steps afterwards.”

With reporting from WBUR's Amanda Beland, Steph Brown, Solon Kelleher and Anna Albrecht.