BOSTON (AP) — Thirteen pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in Boston following a turbulent confrontation with law enforcement that resulted in four officers being hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. The arrests occurred during a protest held on the evening of Tuesday, October 7, 2025, which was one of numerous demonstrations globally marking the second anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, an event that ignited ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The individuals arrested ranged in age from 19 to 27 and were primarily local residents, as reported by the police. They are scheduled to face arraignment on Wednesday and Thursday, with most expected to be charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and disturbing the peace. One protester, identified as 21-year-old Roder Atwood from Somerville, faced more severe charges, including interfering with a police officer, destruction of property, assault and battery on a police officer, and assault and battery resulting in serious bodily injury. Atwood had his bail set at $10,000 and is due for another hearing on October 30.
Atwood's attorney, Peter O'Karma, did not respond immediately to a voicemail left seeking comments regarding the case on Thursday. Local news footage captured chaotic scenes of protesters grappling with police officers, with shouts from demonstrators urging police to release those being restrained.
The protest originated at Boston Common, where officers were stationed to oversee the rally starting at 5:30 p.m. However, approximately an hour later, clashes erupted a few blocks away when groups of protesters, estimated to number between 200 to 300, obstructed a roadway, chanted slogans using amplified bullhorns, and formed human barriers to prevent police vehicles from proceeding in response to what the police described as an “unrelated emergency.”
As officers attempted to move the protesters onto the sidewalk to allow for emergency vehicles, tensions escalated. Protesters reportedly surrounded police cruisers, kicked their doors, and ignited smoke devices and flares, prompting a more aggressive police response. Several officers were assaulted during the confrontation, with one being struck in the face and others sustaining various injuries. Four officers were transported to nearby hospitals, one suffering from a broken nose and another from lower back pain, while others experienced a finger injury and exposure to pepper spray.
A witness, Brody Greland, recounted to WHDH-TV the chaotic scene, stating, “They tried to block the police cars trying to come down Tremont Street and it was wild. After they tried to block the police cars, the police got involved and started making arrests and trying to clear the road, and it got really chaotic. I think there were some fights—some people started throwing punches, it got crazy.”
The event was organized by local chapters of Students for Justice in Palestine, as indicated by social media postings promoting the protest. According to the Berkeley Beacon, the student newspaper of Emerson College, the rally's organizers aimed to encourage their universities to divest from corporations with economic ties to Israel.
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Leah Willingham, The Associated Press
