11 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at Boston Common rally charged with inciting a riot
Eleven of the 13 pro-Palestinian protesters who police arrested following a rally on the Boston Common Tuesday evening that authorities claim turned violent are now charged with inciting a riot, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office and court records.
The 11 protesters charged with inciting a riot are:
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Atalanta Carrig-Braun, 20, of Boston
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Osama El Khatib, 26, of Watertown
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Styx Hatch, 19, of Boston
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Haley MacIntyre, 24, of Dorchester
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Jacob Pettigrew, 22, of Malden
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Gabrielle Smith, 28, of Cambridge
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Madeline Weikel, 27, of Watertown
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Prahlad Iyengar, 25, of Boston
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Laith Hintzman, 19, of Boston
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Amun Prophet, 25, of Allston
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Roder Atwood, 21, of Somerville
Hatch, Smith, Carrig-Brown, Atwood and MacIntyre are also facing at least one count of assault and battery on a police officer, and El Khatib and Weikel have been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to the district attorney's office.
All 13 protesters who were arrested were previously charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace. It is unclear why two of the demonstrators who were arrested haven't been charged with inciting a riot.
All 13 have been arraigned on at least some of the charges in Boston Municipal Court Central and ordered held on cash bail, as well as to stay away from the Boston Common and Public Garden, according to the district attorney's office. Some have since posted bail.
Why riot charges were filed
Authorities filed the riot charges after analyzing promotions for the protest , the district attorney's office said in a Thursday statement to MassLive.
"Further investigation revealed violent imagery and rhetoric used in promotional media for the Oct. 7 incident," the statement reads. "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."
Four officers were injured during a struggle with protesters that began after police tried to disperse them, according to Boston police. At least two officers were taken to a hospital, and multiple officers reported having broken bones as a result of the incident, but all their injuries are considered non-life-threatening.
The district attorney's office did not specify what promotional materials they believe encouraged violence against police, but a redacted police report about the incident mentions a flyer for the protest that included an image of a burning police car. Such an image can be seen in an Instagram post promoting the rally .
The report also describes the protest as part of social media-promoted "week of rage" organized by pro-Palestinian activists.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu previously called for protesters accused of attacking police during the incident to be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
What happened during the protest
Approximately 20 Boston police officers encountered the protesters at the intersection of Tremont and Winter Streets around 6:50 p.m. on Oct. 7 — the two-year anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel, according to the police report. At the time, officers were responding to a call for back-up by drug unit officers downtown who were making an arrest.
Trouble began when the protestors resisted officers' efforts to make room for cruisers, according to the report. The demonstrators refused to get out of the street and began surrounding the cruisers and kicking the vehicles' doors.
Officers then felt forced to "physically move the protesters back using crowd control techniques," according to the report. One officer pepper-sprayed the demonstrators after they began assaulting officers, the report said.
Another protester lit a red smoke canister and red flare, filling the area with colorful smoke that made it difficult for police to breathe and see clearly, according to the report.
Officers then tried to arrest several demonstrators, but were "immediately met with more violence and resistance from other protesters, who appeared to be trying to free their fellow protesters from police custody," the report said.
Outnumbered by the protesters, police then called for back-up. Seconds later, more officers descended upon the intersection and ordered the demonstrators to disperse, but were met with chants of "[expletive] you Nazis" and "BPD is KKK," according to the report.
Police continued to try and break up the protesters, who had locked arms to try and prevent officers from clearing the street, according to the report. Officers then felt forced to "physically move the protesters, which caused the protesters to fight back."
Ultimately, police handcuffed demonstrators amid the struggle and took them into custody, according to the report. Videos of parts of the incident have been shared online.
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