According to NBC News, the Boston Free Speech Rally, which is scheduled for Saturday, will have several more attendees than expected.
The rally has been on the city's calendar since July, and will be a gathering of the right-wing.
Its organizers say, however, that this rally will be different that the Unite the Right event.
"We absolutely denounce the KKK, neo-Nazis, ID Evropa, Vanguard — all these legit hate groups," John Medlar, on of the rally's organizers said, "We have nothing to do with them and you don’t want them here, we don’t want them here."
Two of the right's most galvanizing figures, Gavin McInnes and Tim Gionet (Baked Alaska) were scheduled to speak, but have pulled out after Charlottesville. The founder of the Fraternal Order of Alt Knights, self-proclaimed “tactical defensive arm” of a men's rights organization, will still speak.
In response to the rally, ANSWER Coalition Boston and BLM Boston have readied protests. Antifa is also expected to make an appearance.
The protests had been in the works since July, but ANSWER Coalition Boston organizer Nino Brown told NBC that interest in protesting has grown exponentially after Charlottesville.
“It went from a few hundred to well over 1,000 to now roughly 3,000 pretty quickly. There are about 10,000 interested in our event, according to Facebook.”
With thousands of people in the streets, and the violence in Charlottesville still fresh on everyone's minds, city officials say they are working hard to ensure everyone's safety.
Officials said that more than 500 police officers, including undercover cops, will be patrolling the area. Many of these will be wearing body cameras.
Bag searches will be conducted and some roads will even be closed off to traffic by dump trucks. No large bags, sticks or weapons will be permitted into the rally.
"If anything gets out of hand, we will shut it down," said Mayor Marty Walsh at a press conference on Friday.
Walsh also said that he didn't think granting Free Speech Rally organizers a permit was the greatest idea. "I didn't want them to get a permit, quite honestly, but we also believe in free speech."
Although the rally itself is covered by a permit, the ANSWER, BLM and Antifa protests do not have permits.
The Black Lives Matter Boston chapter has released a statement about their role at the rally.
“While it is our intention to send a message to those who would subject marginalized communities to domestic white terrorism, hate speech, and violence, we also stand in opposition to the most insidious and deadly forms of white supremacy. These include, but are not limited to mass incarceration, income inequality, anti-immigration initiatives, police and local law enforcement, and housing and employment discrimination.”
ANSWER Coalition which stands for "Act Now to Stop War & End Racism" also stated that they plan to address institutionalized and systematic racism, white supremacy and intolerance.
ANSWER and BLM's protests will merge; they will not join forces with Antifa, which is known for a more militant approach to protesting.
“Though we don’t agree with Antifa’s tactics and strategy and adventurism, we respect their willingness to put their bodies on the line to fight fascists,” Brown said.
Want to know how to join in the protests?
ANSWER will gather outside of the Boston State House on Saturday at 11 a.m.
BLM will gather at the Reggie Lewis and Athletic Center at 10 a.m.
The two groups will combine at Boston Commons, where the Free Speech Rally is set to take place.
