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U.S. NEWS Friday 6 March 2020

Tributes, protest mark 250th anniversary of Boston Massacre

By PHILIP MARCELO the historic Old South Meet- that reads, in part, "By the
Associated Press ing House, also in down- sword we seek peace."
BOSTON (AP) — Ceremo- town Boston near the mas- The Boston Massacre took
nies and a protest are mark- sacre site. place on March 5, 1770, as
ing the 250th anniversary And other black and Native a mob attacked a British
Thursday of the massacre American groups planned soldier in front of the down-
in Boston that helped spark a "death procession" pro- town Customs House on a
the Revolutionary War. test from the massacre site snowy evening.
A morning tribute at the to Faneuil Hall on Thursday The solider was among
grave of the five victims of afternoon. roughly 4,000 troops oc-
the fateful conflict included The protesters want to re- cupying Boston in order to
a wreath-laying ceremony name the historic meet- enforce new tax laws im-
and musket salute. ing hall in honor of Crispus posed on the American
The commemoration at the Attucks, a man of African colonies, according to the
Old Granary Burial Ground American and Native Daughters of the American
in downtown Boston was American descent who Revolution. In this Tuesday, March 3, 2020 photo Samuel Ike, of Cambridge,
the first of a number of was the first person killed in British soldiers opened fire Mass., left, dressed in the role of Revolutionary War-era African
events expected to take the massacre. on the crowd, killing Attucks American abolitionist Prince Hall, walks past the grave with red
flowers of the victims of the 1770 shooting by British soldiers,
place across the country in Attucks is often cited as the and four other men: Samu- known as the Boston Massacre, at the Granary Burying Ground
the coming years to mark first casualty of the Ameri- el Gray, James Caldwell, in Boston.
the 250th anniversary of can Revolution, and the Samuel Maverick and Pat- Associated Press
America's war for indepen- hall, where prominent Bos- rick Carr.
dence, according to the tonians debated indepen- Two of the soldiers were stoked anti-British senti- new nation's second presi-
Daughters of the American dence from Britain, was in- eventually found guilty ment throughout the colo- dent, said the massacre
Revolution, which hosted famously built by a wealthy and branded. The victims nies, thanks in large part to was when the "founda-
the brief service. merchant and slave trader. were posthumously hailed widely circulated engrav- tion of American indepen-
Gov. Charlie Baker, Bos- The groups are also calling as heroes, with thousands ings by Paul Revere depict- dence was laid."
ton Mayor Marty Walsh, for changing the state flag turning out for their funeral ing the British soldiers as the Four years later, irate Bosto-
the president of the Boston and seal, which depict a procession and their burial instigators of the conflict. nians staged their infamous
branch of the NAACP and Native American man, a together. John Adams, who defend- Tea Party, dumping British
others will also take part in colonist's arm brandishing The story of the bloody ed the British soldiers in their tea into the harbor to pro-
an evening ceremony at a sword and a Latin phrase street brawl, meanwhile, trial and later became the test Colonial rule. q