Massachusetts leaders, activists rally to demand all 2020 election votes be counted

A crowd of about 1,000 state leaders and activists gathered on Boston Common Wednesday afternoon to demand every vote be counted in the contentious 2020 election, which hangs in the balance as key battleground states continue to tally up the ballots.

“Counting the votes that have been cast by — legally cast by — Americans across this country is not a partisan issue. It should not be a partisan issue,” Tanisha Sullivan, president of the Boston chapter of the NAACP, told the crowd.

Deb Paul, chair of the Indivisible Mass Coalition added, “people have power through their voice, and their votes, and we need every single vote counted.”

Those who descended on the Common held signs, chanted and remained peaceful. Boston Police said there were no reports of arrests or other disturbances at the rally. There was not a heavy police presence at the rally.

One counterprotester, who was shouting and appeared to be intoxicated, was escorted out of the area by organizers.

Krishna Dasaratha of Cambridge, who joined Wednesday’s rally, said he was worried about President Trump’s call to stop the counting in some states.

“We’re not going to sit quietly if he tries to steal the election,” Dasaratha said.

Joe Twinery, who also attended the rally said looking into the next days and weeks, he worries about violence, but added, “I think I will be out as much as I can over the next week, two weeks, three weeks, months, however long it takes to ensure a democratic process.”

Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts said, “We will not allow this president to ignore the Constitution. He cannot disenfranchise voters just because he wants to lock in a second term. Every vote must be counted.”

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, who was re-elected, lashed out at Trump and his team for “putting together a plan for months to cast a cloud over this election.”

In the early morning hours on Wednesday, Trump said to supporters, “We’ll be going to the U.S. Supreme Court — we want all voting to stop.”

Trump also tweeted, “We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. We will never let them do it. Votes cannot be cast after the Polls are closed!”

But legally cast ballots are still being counted nationwide as results continue to trickle in from key states that could tip the election.

“I am very concerned that the president is trying to foment violent reactions to the counting of the votes across our country,” Markey told the crowd at the rally organized by the ACLU and the Indivisible Mass Coalition. “He is perpetrating a fraud in his contention that these are illegally cast votes.”

BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Demonstrators call for counting every vote during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: A man disrupts the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Azarias Rivera, of Dorchester, reacts as he listens to speeches during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Demonstrators call for counting every vote during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Azarias Rivera, of Dorchester, listens to speeches during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Urso Blackburn,7, demonstrates with parent Rafael Kelman during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Urso Blackburn,7, demonstrates with her parents Mary Blackburn and Rafael Kelman during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Ann Phibin holds a sign calling for counting all the votes during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Karen Louise Gonsalves, of Boston, cheers during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Senator Ed Markey speaks during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Karen Louise Gonsalves, of Boston, cheers during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Beth Shapiro and Sophie Parker cheers at speeches during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Senator Ed Markey listens as Tanisha Sullivan, president NAACP Boston, speaks during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Guy Hold and his wife, Eileen Ryan of Watertown hold signs during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Donna Small and her husband Dan Goldberg of Boston listen to speeches during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)
BOSTON MA. NOVEMBER 4: Eileen Ryan of Watertown holds signs during the Count Every Vote Rally on the Boston Common on November 4, 2020 in Boston, MA. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)