Dozens of people came together to support the police at a “Back the Blue” rally in Mansfield, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
“That’s why we are here right now, showing our support and letting them know we have their backs,” Mansfield resident Mike MacDougall told NBC Boston.
The Back the Blue demonstrators were also met with a few counterprotesters backing the Black Lives Matter movement.
“I’m out here because I don’t stand for fascists coming into my neighborhood and backing an authoritarian movement,” said Noah Keniston, who showed up with other counterprotesters.
The Back the Blue demonstrators say they are not necessarily against Black Lives Matter as a movement, but they are against the violence shown by some of the group’s members towards the police at Black Lives Matter rallies.
“All lives matter and we need our police, black, blue, white, any color, any race, we all matter,” Lorraine Tavares, another Back the Blue demonstrator, said.
The demonstrations in Mansfield on both sides remained peaceful.
Back the Blue rallies have become a popular way of supporting the police across the country. In August, the towns of Wilbraham and Hampden, Massachusetts, saw a record turnout at their mobile rally that took place between the two cities.
Similar rallies supporting the police were also held in Long Island, New York; Johnson City, Tennessee; and Washington state over Labor Day weekend where hundreds of people were in attendance.
“Back the Blue” events are part of an Act for America grassroots campaign that helps local communities organize events to support their local law enforcement agencies.