BOSTON – Waving colorful banners and singing “Plazas for the People,” Boston citizens erected a tent city at City Hall Plaza yesterday to protest the city’s inaction in rejuvenating one of the nation’s most sterile public places.
Boston's City Hall Plaza, transformed by a rainbow of public space protesters. Several protesters hinted they'd be bringing a petting zoo later in the week.
Protesters threw Frisbees, licked ice cream cones, played Bocce, fed birds, and walked arm in arm. It was the first display of hospitality ever witnessed at City Hall Plaza, which was built 40 years ago as part of a massive urban renewal project and has been intensely disliked ever since. The eight acre area of barren concrete and brick was identified by Project for Public Spaces in 2004 as the worst single public plaza worldwide, chosen from hundreds of contenders.
“Two hundred and thirty five years ago, American colonists threw tea into Boston Harbor in a tax protest,” declared protest organizer and hometown celebrity Matt Damon. “Today, we hold a tea party to celebrate the importance of congenial gathering spots in our city.”
Boston Mayor Tom Menino begged the protesters to come back tomorrow.