(Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — A small rally that was planned in Brookline in support of law enforcement has been canceled, after threats were allegedly made against the organizer of the event.
Svetlana Shaknovich told WBZ NewsRadio she sent an email inviting her friends to join her in a peaceful demonstration to show support for her local officers at Brookline Police Headquarters.
One of the recipients posted the information about the rally on social media, including Shaknovitch's phone number.
That's when she said she started getting ugly comments calling her "an ultra right-wing nazi," and vowing to hold a loud counter-protest against her group.
Shaknovitch is a Russian-Jewish immigrant who moved to the U.S. years ago to flee persecution in her own country. She told WBZ NewsRadio she was very upset to see a lack of freedom of speech here.
"We cannot go to the street without violence and just express our opinion about our police," she said. "The police said; 'you know what? We cannot guarantee your safety.' That's what really frightens me. If the police cannot guarantee the safety of a peaceful rally in support of police, what country are we living in?"
There is another pro-law enforcement rally planned for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury.
WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe reports:
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App