What to know for Saturday's rallies: road closures, MBTA, safety

BOSTON — There are three groups planning rallies and marches in Boston this weekend.

"We will not tolerate any misbehavior, any violence or any vandalism," said Boston Police Commissioner Williams Evans.

Here's a breakdown of what to expect, whether you are attending the "Boston Free Speech Rally", the “Fight Supremacy," or the "Stand for Solidarity" rally.

>>MORE: Walsh: 'Stay away from the Common' Saturday

"We know 99 percent of those attending tomorrow are coming for the right reason," said Evans.

He said that one percent is who they will be watching. Evans confirmed there are no threats to the march or rallies.

>>MORE: Here are the groups planning rallies in Boston

Safety:

- Cameras have been put in and around the Common bandstand

- Officers will have roaming cameras

- Officers will be searching backpacks

- There will be wand searches as necessary

- Barriers will separate the participants of the different rallies

What is not allowed:

- Weapons

- Sticks or bats, including sticks that are used for signs

- Projectiles

Street Closures:

- Tremont Street  to Charles Street closed starting around 10:30 a.m. Saturday

- Roads adjoining Tremont will be closed too

- Towing on Tremont Street starting at 6 a.m. Saturday

MBTA:

- All open except Bowdoin, which is usually closed on the weekend

- Additional transit officers will be in the stations around the Common

- If you see anything, contact a public safety official immediately: 617-222-1212

What is closed: 

Swan Boats

Frog Pond

Boston Common Parking Garage

READ MORE: Swan boats, other small business around Common closed Saturday 

Here are the 3 Groups that we are aware of planning to take part in Saturday rallies and counter rallies:

"Boston Free Speech Rally" (John Medlar's event)
They have a permit for an event from 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Parkman Bandstand.
Their FB page indicates 249 are going and 450 are "interested"
This Free Speech Movement is dedicated to peaceful rallies and are in no way affiliated with the Charlottesville rally on 8/12/17
"While we maintain that every individual is entitled to their freedom of speech and defend that basic human right, we will not be offering our platform to racism or bigotry. We denounce the politics of supremacy and violence. We denounce the actions, activities, and tactics of the so-called Antifa movement. We denounce the normalization of political violence."

"Fight Supremacy"
10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
They will start a march from the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury to the Boston Common
FB page says 10,000 are going – 23,000 are "interested"
"Walk with us as we march from the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Centerto Boston Common (1.9 miles) and Rally for Black Lives, LGBTQI Lives, Indigenous Lives, Palestinian Lives, Cape Verde Lives, Latinx Lives, Jewish Lives, and all who are marginalized! We will meet in front of the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center at 10am before marching to Boston Commons to demand justice and stand in defiance of white supremacy."

"Stand for Solidarity"
11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
State House
FB page indicated 3,500 are going. 10,000 are "interested"
"Stand for Solidarity is a counter demonstrative rally in response to the August 19th "Free Speech Rally" called by a coalition of white nationalist organizations. Our coalition believes that it is crucial to not only vocally oppose these grass-roots led, far-right mobilizations, but that local communities must unite to resist the ways that white supremacist ideologies are validated, re-enforced and perpetuated by legislation and policy on a state and local level. We have assembled a list of actionable demands and have invited a series of speakers from organizations involved in the local struggle against white supremacy to speak about how individuals can get involved in these initiatives happening in their communities. This coalition does not advocate for the use of violence as an offensive tactic during this demonstration. We respect the bodily autonomy of individuals to defend themselves if physically attacked."

The Southern Poverty Law Center says confronting hate groups at rallies only broadens the impact of their message and spreads their rhetoric.

“They recommend that people should not confront these rallies. We’re urging everyone to stay away from the Common,” said Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. “The children of our city are watching and I want everyone who goes to the Common [Saturday] to understand that.”

Cox Media Group