Reporter hi, melissa. We have just moved off the edge of Boston Common where witnesses tell me the members of the boston free speech rally have been moved through the crowd under heavy police coverage, helping them get safely into wagons, and now they have just left through this large crowd that was caboting after them. Im chanting after them. Im also seeing numerous officers still arriving carrying batons basically looking like Tactical Units. The counterprotest crowd in the tens of thousands today. This is something the Boston Police say they were well prepared for. They expected to have over 500 Law Enforcement officers across the city to be ready for both of these protests, and we are seeing that enormous presence right now. Weve heard a tremendous amount of sirens just in the last hour or so. Those sirens were this side of the common as we watched as those wagons carrying the boston free speech members, a much smaller protest. Really hard to gauge how big it was because we could not get to the bandstand because they did not allow the media to get through into that area. Instead, were in the much larger counterprotest crowd. But its clear that the difference in numbers was absolutely enormous. But those, the free speech crowd, that rally as you mentioned that had brought in those controversial speakers, have now been escorted out by authorities around the corner, and were just beginning to see the marchers here, the counterprotest marchers, beginning to disperse in this area where the police went through. Melissa . Kelly . Melissa can i ask you, what was the tenor like, what was the temperature like . Reporter well, largely peaceful. There were tens of thousands of people here on the part of the counterprotesters that for the most part were standing around, had a lot of signs talking about peace and love, antinazi, antikkk. The organizers of the boston free speech rally said they were very surprised to find out that other people thought that they were a hate group, that they were i somehow affiliated with White Supremacy or the kkk. The reason city leaders say that they were related to hate and decided to bring in all this security and the Police Presence and to try to make sure the city was safe was because of the list of speakers they had invited. At least one of the speakers did speak in charlottesville, although the Boston Free Speech Group says they are completely unaffiliated with the charlottesville rally. That speaker, by the way, did not show here, but there were other controversial speakers including a man that was slated to be here that went viral on the web for breaking a stick over the back of an antitrump protester earlier this year. The boston folks said theyre essentially against Political Violence and these ideas, no matter how controversial, should be brought to light. So their message they claim was one of even the most controversial speech should be allowed, that its a matter of constitutional values. The counterprotest group came with a message against the kkk, against White Supremacists. There were a lot of signs here that did reference charlottesville. Heather heyer, for instance, was on a number of posters. So this was an extension, a pushback against the overall tone of what happened in charlottesville as well as speaking out against the rally that happened here in the bandstand at Boston Common specifically. So theres a much larger sense of activism amongst this counterprotest crowd. Melissa . Melissa molly, if i can ask you as well, i mean, we heard at the beginning that the rally that started the whole thing that was focused around the free speech event ended early. Why was that . Reporter weve been reaching out to the organizers to get some idea of why they decided to leave bandstand. We dont know if there was something specific that pushed them out or if they had simply finished with their speakers. They were allowed to be there from noon to two today. Perhaps there was some security concern and the police decided wed like the rally to end now because they did say if there was anything that gave them reason to end the rally early, they would do so. So we dont know exactly why it broke up, but they did the leave the bandstand before two and were brought out with the police. We were it would were not able to actually see from our Vantage Point on the common moving through the police, but i was it would that Tactical Units were involved, that some police were very ready to safely move those free speech people attending through the much larger counterprotest crowd. This side of the common where we are now did appear to be less populated, but we were among the much bigger crowd of counterprotesters on the other side. One witness told us they were moved through, put on wagons, and they attempted to move them through the streets, and they were virtually surrounded really. There were so many counterprotesters coming into the common they had difficulty moving the wagons off the the area. They seem to have done that successful at this point, but were still seeing Tactical Units arriving. Right now im seeing maybe two dozen additional tactical members of in this team arriving in the full gear, the Boston Police, with the batons as well as some of the bike Police Moving back in this area. Perhaps theyre just showing a presence, that theyre ready for anything. It still seems very peaceful and quiet. Were seeing a lot of the counterprotests beginning to disperse and heading out in different directions. Melissa . Melissa molly line, thank you so much. You know, kelly, it is remarkable, we keep looking at these pictures, and the crowd is enormous. Kelly it is. Melissa the counterprotesters outnumbering the people that had originally gathered for the event by many, many, many, she said tens of thousands of people out there. And if you even look at this picture that we have on screen right now, largely peaceful, nonviolent so far, that we havent seen incident. We saw a little bit of shoving a moment ago, and that basically had to do it appeared from here with police trying to push the line back a bit and move people along. But mostly orderly and peaceful, and it says a lot. Kelly it says a lot particularly about the Boston Police department. Theyre prepared for these kinds of mass rallies, and theyve been able to control the crowds, and they have a lot of expertise in this even with sporting events where passions can be somewhat enflamed and people get reckless. But in a situation like this, heres whats happening with the Boston Police department. They were prepared for this. Say thaw what went down in they saw what went down in charlottesville last week, and basically they were able to have a week head start to allow the free speech from the conservative group and the also allow those who were countering that and speaking out against White Supremacists. And we should point out that the particular group that was there today for the free speech, a conservative group, they were basically saying we are unaffiliated with White Supremacists as well as the kkk. Melissa right, right. They were saying they are not part of that group. The commonality was that they apparently had some of the same speakers on the list as had been in charlottesville last weekend, and at least one of them ended up not coming. Also looking at, you know, like the difference in in the attire on both sides. Here you see a lot of what i would describe as regular people out there protesting as opposed to last time when we saw people who were, you know, holding shields, wearing masks, carrying weapons of various types. I mean, obviously, showing up for a very different purpose. These people look like theyre out for a peaceful protest. Kelly yeah. Lets bring in Steve Harrigan right now live on the streets in boston with those counterprotesters who marched through the downtown area earlier and joins us by phone. Steve, as melissa was pointing out, were seeing a peaceful demonstration here today, and our colleague, molly line, also stating the same thing. What are you hearing from the counterprotesters, what theyre speaking out against . Reporter the numbers were huge. Im standing right mow in boston guard withen, and you get the sense that those counterprotesters are starting to break up now. In the past half hour, we have seen some scuffles, and what you were saying about Boston Police, weve seen it really with our own eyes. People with trump hats on, Trump Supporters or to others were briefly surrounded, and some fights broke out inside the park. Im talking about small numbers, individuals versus a few dozen people. We saw immediately riot police step in with pepper spray, first police and then riot police. So 99 peaceful as far as the demonstration goes. But just in the past half hour after about three hours of demonstration, anyone here boston gardens, Boston Common wearing a trump hat certainly a marked person. Weve seen 500 officers on the street mainly on bicycles. As far as the protesters go, these counterprotesters, no sign of any weapons and really orderly for three and a half hours. Antitrump, antinazi, antiWhite Supremacy, but a real mix of people too, men and women, old and young. The mayor has we have a lot of swearing behind me now as groups getting closer. Two minor violent incidents inside the park, some of the more extreme leftwing protesters perhaps not wanting to go home without a little bit of action and getting a very little bit at the end but quickly broken up by Boston Police, kelliful. Kelly that, indeed, is good to hear, because we know the Boston Police, they dont want anything to happen in terms of what we saw the likes of in charlottesville last week. But i want to ask you, steve, the atmosphere there now, now that its ended peacefully except for a few minor fights that broke out and the Boston Police there to quell those fights, what how would you describe the atmosphere there now . What do they want to do . Will they go home peacefully or continue to protest throughout the city today . Reporter i think the great majority will go home peacefully. Theyre already starting to disperse and clap. I think they feel like theyve proved their point with their numbers. I mean, if you have 15,000 on one side and 50 on the other, its a pretty dramatic difference for the two sides. Were still hearing some chapping and system cheering from those counter clapping and some cheering from those counterprotesters, but theyve lost their momentum. They were marching down road united and chanting, and now theyre all sort of going their different ways in the park as this large Group Continues to disperse, kelly. Kelly steve, thank you. Real quickly, ive got to let you go, but was there a clarion call from any of these groups to try to come together and find some peace and harmony regardless of what side were taking . Reporter i think when you look at the signs here among the counterprotesters, a lot of them were apolitical, were just saying, you know, lets listen the each other, lets have some more love. Not really political on either side, but hoping for some rapprochement between the two sides. Kelly Steve Harrigan reporting live from boston where things, were happy report today, have been peaceful. Melissa with all the breaking news in boston, the white house is in the middle of another major shakeup. President trump thank steve bannon for his service a day after his controversial chief strategist left the white house. Bannons departure marking the end of his turbulent sevenmonth tenure as Senior Adviser to the president but also setting the stage for more waves outside 1600 pennsylvania avenue. Rich edson is live from bridgewater, new jersey, near the president s golf club in bedminster. Rich. Reporter good afternoon, melissa. And President Trump, his day in public thus far has been largely spent on twitter, tweeting this morning about steve ban month, thanking him for his service at the white house and during the campaign and just a few minutes ago saying, quote steve bannon will be a tough and smart new voice at breitbart news, maybe even better than before. Fake news needs the competition. This is three weeks after the former department of Homeland Security secretary john kelly assumed the role as chief of staff at the white house and decided to undertake a reorganization of that staff. Bannon is now out. Shortly after the announcement, bannon spoke with the weekly standard. Quote the Trump Presidency that we fought for and won is over. We still have a huge movement, and we will make something of this Trump Presidency, but that presidency is over. Itll be something else. Bannons influence of Trump Administrations policy will originate outside the white house at breitbart where hes returned to lead the publication. Days ago this an interview, bannon warned of an economic war with china, criticized the Trump Administration strategy in korea and this asia warning he wanted to push state Department Officials out and, quote, get the hawks in. Foreign policy moves forward with bannon out of the white house. Yesterday the president met with his National Security team at camp david discussing afghanistan strategy. Also this morning the president tweeted, quote important day spent at camp david with our very talented generals and military leaders. Many decisions made including on afghanistan. Thus far, we havent heard anything else from the white house as to what president might be talking about, if hes made a decision perhaps on troop levels, u. S. Commitment, contractors. All of that still up in the air. Melissa . Melissa interesting. Well look forward to more on that. Rich edson, thank you. Kelly joining us now is Sarah Westwood with the washington examiner. Sarah, good to of you to join us today. As were taking a look at boston once again, i would like to ask you first and foremost your reaction or your response, i should say, to the fact that it ended peacefully, quite unlike what we saw last week in charlottesville. I hate to belabor that point, but the facts are there. We all know what happened, how it has wounded the country in terms of race relations, and we have to get over that. And today weve seen the possibilities that thats still, that americas still a place of hope and america is a place where we can gather together and speak both sides can talk and still walk away from it without hurting each other or causing a death. Absolutely. I think thats a wonderful thing. Its probably a product of all the focus that was put on the charlottesville rally this week. It got walltowall media coverage. There was a lot of discussion about both sides, obviously, the president drew a lot of attention to that with his comments about who was responsible for the violence, and i think that, you know, with all the scrutiny of what happened in charlottesville that a lot of the cities where these demonstrations took place boston in particular the precautions were taken and lessons were learned from what happened in charlottesville that prevented violence from happening today. Kelly i want to ask you then based on that, you talked about President Trump making a statement p m earlier in the week and, of course, you know theres been a lot of fallout from his statements. Some people viewing that as very controversial in terms of the president s going back and forth about who was right, who was wrong. The question comes to mind though, can anybody be right when evens guilty, so to speak . [laughter] and that would seem to be all of us in america, because all of us have failed to talk about this elephant in the room, racism. How might that impact the president in terms of inviting donors, potential donors, big Business Leaders to try to fund some of his programs . How does he get his agenda back on tracksome. We saw a big backlash among the Business Community in particular this week when President Trumps Advisory Councils broke apart in the wake of this controversy. There were ceos who diseased that decided that the risk of being so closely associated with the white house right now outweighed the reward of having a seat at table. But those relationships can be repaired because, look, at the end of the day, everyone ceos the republicans on capitol hill are going to be more successful when President Trump and his agenda are successful. So they will have to find a way to make it through this controversy. Youre already starting to see some of the firestorm of controversy that was brewing simmer down, temperatures are lowering, the fact that these rallies over the weekend are not getting violent will help the president be able to move on from this. And hopefully, the white house has learned its lesson in terms of dealing with such a hot button issue, that maybe the president was and he was factually correct that violence occurred on both sides of last weekends rallies. But being right was less important this week than having a symbolic role this being a healer in being a healer and a leader. And i think a lot of his critics failed to hiv up to that. The the live up to that. The white house has probably learned its lesson moving forward. Kelly i hear you loud and clear, but some people would say thats not the case at all, that more healing needs to take place and that the president should become consoler in chief and try