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Straight Pride Parade Counter-Protesters Outnumber Parade Goers

BOSTON (CBS) -- Boston Police established a large buffer zone between the Straight Pride Parade and counter-protesters Saturday. Counter-protesters booed and yelled chants, including "Boston hates you," from the street as parade organizers held speeches on City Hall plaza.

"The point of being here today is to make sure that they know they are not welcome here in Boston," one counter-protester said.

The crowd on Congress Street was much larger than event's actual attendees.

The parade was organized by a group called Super Happy Fun America. Founder John Hugo told WBZ-TV on Friday, "Straight is great. We love being straight. And there's nothing wrong with celebrating our sexual orientation.

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Counter-protesters were kept to the street, a distance away from the Straight Pride Parade participants near the stage on City Hall Plaza (WBZ-TV)

Hours before the Straight Pride Parade was scheduled to begin on Saturday, counter-protesters of the event began to congregate at City Hall. By about 10 a.m., 200 people had gathered.

"We're here to celebrate our community. We're here to show up in the face of hate with love and joy," one man said. "We should celebrate our differences and celebrate the ways in which people from all backgrounds have contributed to this country."

Another man had pointed words for the Straight Pride Parade organizers, "The organizers of the Straight Pride Parade have long and well-documented ties to white supremacists and anti-immigrant movements. In general, they are fascists who believe that they are the only acceptable type of being."

While the group waited for the parade to arrive, they played music and held their own rally.

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