There were hundreds of people (reports differ, some say thousands) gathered in and around the iconic central gazebo, few over the age of 35. Screams of “USA! USA USA!” echoed down Tremont and Boylston Sts. as the crowd massed. People hung from the stone pillars, having walked from various parts of the city to meet in the middle and rejoice over the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Four marines stood front and center on the iron rails that circle the gazebo holding U.S. Marine Corps flags and leading the revelers in a number of songs, including the national anthem and “God Bless America.”
Roman Perry, a 19-year-old Boston University student was instrumental in getting the entire mess of people to “STFU 4 The Troops” by typing the words onto his MacBook Pro, hoisting it in the air and showing the horde his message. Almost instantly, silence fell, as hundreds of people raised lighters and peace signs into the air.
“Silence for the Troops!” the message was spread from person to person and hundreds of rowdy college students stood quietly for over a minute until someone near the East side of the crowd yelled, “Bring them home!,” which the crowd took up as a chant.
There was a distinct smell of marijuana in a number of different places around the area. “That’s right, what are they [the police circling the park] going to do about it?” said one student in an Emerson Athletics sweatshirt as he overheard my comment on the whiffs of smoke. This rally was more of a party than it was anything else. Jubilant students hugged strangers, danced to drum beats and songs, and called their friends from their cells phones – most people had them out and were taking pictures or videos.
A tangible air of support for the president was also prominent, as the masses swelled together, everyone jumping up and down and chanting, “Go Obama, Fuck Osama” and “Yes we can!”
At around 3 a.m. the crowd began to disperse in various directions, but not before a young marine in uniform was hoisted into the gazebo from the ground. He stood on the railing and waved as the hundreds of people yelled “Thank you!” at him repeatedly.
Photo by Jennifer Orr