A free speech rally taking place in Boston, Massachusetts on Saturday was disbanded after thousands of left-wing activists held an enormous counter-protest.

No more than 300 free-speech activists took part in the event, while approximately 30,000 counter-protesters took to the streets in a protest organized by groups such as Black Lives Matter and Boston’s ANSWER Coalition.

The rally was organized by a group known as the Boston Free Speech Coalition and invited “libertarians, conservatives, traditionalists, classical liberals, (Donald) Trump supporters or anyone else who enjoys their right to free speech.”

It was also addressed by Republican Senate candidate Shiva Ayyadurai and Libertarian congressional candidate Samson Racioppi, as counter-protesters sang songs comparing the participants to Nazis and white supremacists.

Hundreds in Boston counter-protest gathered chanting "No hate no fear, #Nazi's are not welcome here" #bostonresist pic.twitter.com/gXZhW7THNR — Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) August 19, 2017

The Boston counter-protest is now perhaps the largest anti-racist protest this year. Thousands arrive still — many more expected. pic.twitter.com/7dIPr9XbMo — Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) August 19, 2017

Images from Fox News showed one woman attacked and dragged after waving an American flag.

https://twitter.com/DrewLiquerman/status/898941296420802561

Protesters could be seen screaming at a Trump supporter as he walked through the streets.

Trump supporter walks through crowd of hysterical Free speech protestors!They hackle, scream & insult him! #Boston pic.twitter.com/FYS1rnbj9B — Corryn💙 (@Corrynmb) August 19, 2017

Riot police were also deployed as the opposing groups faced off.

Festival atmosphere now on Boston common. Tiny "free-speech" rally disbanded. Mostly peaceful so far but riot police rolling through now. pic.twitter.com/Gzmgq8rdV9 — Joel Gunter (@joelmgunter) August 19, 2017

Boston police are forming a line between the two protest groups pic.twitter.com/M0DGF7pcJN — The Classy Libertarian (@ClassyLiberties) August 19, 2017

After the principal rally was disbanded, leftists took to Twitter to celebrate their ‘victory.’

45 minutes into the planned rally and the 'Free Speech' protestors are leaving. well done, #Boston pic.twitter.com/jNePGtqPew — Jamie Church (@jlchurch) August 19, 2017

The "Free Speech" rally is over. There were about 50 ppl there. The thousands are the counter protesters!

Love wins!

Haters just left Boston — Enjae S. Ostberg (@EnjaeSusan) August 19, 2017

https://twitter.com/TheAnonJournal/status/898946434547957760

However, other users were quick to criticize the march and point out the irony.

Leftist idiots are protesting against a FREE SPEECH rally in #Boston. Why do they hate the First Amendment and hate America? #BostonCommon — Makada 🇺🇸 (@_Makada_) August 19, 2017

The Left cheers as a free speech rally is shutdown in Boston. Sad. — ChrisWilliam (@ChrisWilliam95) August 19, 2017

Everyone wearing a mask in Boston today should be arrested. Watching a woman be assaulted by lefty fascists. No cops in sight. — David Horowitz (@horowitz39) August 19, 2017

I can guarantee you the mainstream media won't be reporting on alt-left violence which caused a free speech rally in Boston to be shut down. — Jack Murphy (@RealJack) August 19, 2017

In the run-up to the event, the group behind the rally fully distanced itself from the events in Charlottesville last weekend, after violence broke out between a white supremacist rally and Antifa.

“Contrary to a lot of the rumors out there, the purpose of the rally is to denounce the kind of political violence that we have seen — a sort of rising tide throughout the country, and particularly most recently in Charlottesville,” organizer John Medlar told CNN affiliate WBZ.

You can follow Ben Kew on Facebook, on Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com