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Pro-Palestinian agitators accused of being behind a riot on Tuesday are now being charged with “promotion of anarchy” after the melee left several officers injured.
The Boston Herald reported that the Suffolk District Attorney’s Office on Thursday upgraded charges for all 13 suspects, who are now accused of violating a state law that makes “promotion of anarchy” illegal and is a felony charge, according to court documents.
On Tuesday night, between 200 and 300 people participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in downtown Boston that quickly descended into a riot. Thirteen people were arrested after police allege they became violent toward law enforcement officers.
A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office told the Herald that the upgraded charges come after a Boston Police Department review of posters promoting the so-called protest, which feature a quote from a Hamas spokesperson and a burning police cruiser.
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“Peace be upon your souls that will one day soar in the skies of your liberated Al Quid’s and Al Aqsa, purified from the defilement of your killers,” the poster read, according to police.
Because of that, police determined probable cause that the group “intended to conduct their rally and march in such a way that it induced fear, caused destruction and disruption, caused injury and promoted anarchy.”
Four police officers were injured during the riot.
“Further investigation revealed violent imagery and rhetoric used in promotional media for the October 7 incident,” the DA’s spokesperson said. “This organizing material promoted violence against police and presented an immediate threat to public safety which, combined with the actions of the individuals arrested, provided clear justification for the enhanced charges.”
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Boston police said the group “surrounded police cruisers, kicked vehicle doors and resisted dispersal efforts,” adding that “several officers were assaulted during this period, including one struck in the face.”
“As violence escalated,” police said, more officers were sent to the area while the agitators “continued to resist dispersal.”
Officers reported that the rioters were forcibly removing and damaging their equipment.
“During the disturbance, officers reported equipment being forcibly removed or damaged, including body-worn cameras, radios, bicycles and other duty gear,” the agency said.
Police made arrests for unlawful assembly, violent resistance and obstruction of emergency response efforts, along with a slew of other charges including assault.
Osama El Khatib, 26, Roder Atwood, 21, Atalanta Carrig-Braun, 20, Haley MacIntyre, 24, Madeline Weikel, 27, Jacob Pettigrew, 22, Amun Prophet, 25, Laith Hintzman, 19, Benjamin Choucroun, 20, Owen Woodcock, 26, Prahlad Iyengar, 25, Styx Hatch, 19, and Gabrielle Smith, 28, were arrested on Tuesday night.
Bail was set on Wednesday and Thursday for the individuals arrested, ranging from $500 to $10,000.
Notably, bail for Atwood, El Khatib and Hatch was set at $10,000. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office alleges that Khatib punched police officers to help fellow suspects escape without being arrested. While the district attorney’s office requested $5,000 cash bail, the judge set bail at $10,000.
The Boston Herald reported that Atwood allegedly broke a police officer’s nose during an assault, according to prosecutors.
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Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden sent a message to future protesters in a statement on Wednesday: remain peaceful or face prosecution.
“These defendants were not in court today because they were protesting,” Hayden said. “They were in court because they committed crimes. If you assault police and commit other offenses, you’re going to be arrested and prosecuted, period.”
“Peaceful protests happen all the time in this city,” he said. “We support everyone’s right to protest. But these individuals chose against protesting peacefully, and they are now facing the consequences of those choices.”
According to Boston.com, the initial protest was organized by local Students for Justice in Palestine chapters, which coincided with the two-year mark of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas.
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The protest was intended to “flood downtown for Palestine.”
According to the report, people yelled “F— you, Nazis” and “BPD is KKK” as they refused to leave the area.
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