Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Boston are now facing felony “promotion of anarchy” charges after a violent downtown riot left several officers injured and the city scrambling to restore order.
According to the Boston Herald, Suffolk County prosecutors on Thursday upgraded charges for all 13 arrested suspects, citing a Massachusetts law that makes “promotion of anarchy” a felony offense. Officials say the escalation came after investigators reviewed promotional materials for the rally that included a quote from a Hamas spokesperson and an image of a burning police cruiser.
Police concluded 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.”
Between 200 and 300 people participated in Tuesday’s protest, which quickly spiraled into chaos. Officers reported being surrounded, assaulted, and having their body cameras, radios, and bicycles damaged. Four officers were injured during the melee.
“Further investigation revealed violent imagery and rhetoric used in promotional media,” the DA’s office said, calling the material an “immediate threat to public safety.”
Prosecutors allege some participants assaulted officers to help others evade arrest. Bail for several defendants, including Osama El Khatib and Roder Atwood, was set at $10,000 after allegations they punched and injured officers.
Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden made the administration’s position clear: “These defendants were not in court today because they were protesting. They were in court because they committed crimes.”
Hayden added, “We support everyone’s right to protest. But these individuals chose against protesting peacefully, and they are now facing the consequences of those choices.”
