Four Boston police officers were injured and 13 people were arrested Tuesday night after a pro-Palestinian protest turned violent, officials said.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, blocking traffic and preventing emergency vehicles from passing, the Boston Police Department (BPD) said in a Wednesday statement. When officers attempted to move the crowd onto the sidewalk, protesters surrounded police cruisers, kicked vehicle doors, and resisted dispersal efforts.
Protesters also ignited smoke devices and flares, and officers reported that equipment, including body cameras, radios, bicycles, and other gear, was damaged or forcibly removed according to police. Several officers were assaulted, including one who was struck in the face, and four were transported to the hospital. The police union and other outlets, including The Berkeley Beacon, shared stark images and video of the chaos.
Per Larry Calderone: “Another night of violence against police in Boston. Our officers were attacked, assaulted and sent to the hospital with injuries. Completely despicable and totally unacceptable. It’s happening far too often with no repercussions.” https://t.co/oKiSoUyoS2
— Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association (BPPA) (@BostonPatrolmen) October 8, 2025
Wild video shows the moment several protestors were arrested after a Pro-Palestine rally on the Boston Common turned violent and several officers were injured, according to police.
🎥: The Berkeley Beacon
Read more: https://t.co/a0V9TTixxg pic.twitter.com/hXy6W99gCg
— Boston 25 News (@boston25) October 8, 2025
“Another night of violence against police in Boston. Our officers were attacked, assaulted and sent to the hospital with injuries,” Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association President Larry Calderone said in a statement on X. “Completely despicable and totally unacceptable. It’s happening far too often with no repercussions.”
Thirteen individuals — mostly in their 20s — were arrested and are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court, according to BPD. None required medical attention.
“We are extremely grateful for the work of the Boston Police in keeping the city safe and in supporting the right to peacefully protest,” Democrat Boston Mayor Wu said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Boston will not tolerate violence, and we categorically condemn those who came into our community to attack our police officers. The individuals who engaged in these attacks must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Flyers for Tuesday’s rally were circulated on social media accounts belonging to Boston-area Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters — a network that has led anti-Israel demonstrations nationwide and previously described the Oct. 7 massacre as a “historic win” — as well as other pro-Palestinian student organizations.
Neither the Boston Police Department nor SJP responded to DCNF’s requests for comment.
Tuesday’s violence came just days after a crowd of more than 100 people launched fireworks at a marked Boston police cruiser on Sunday. Calderone described the incident as part of a growing trend of attacks on law enforcement fueled by a “lack of prosecution,” in remarks to CBS News.
“If we’re wrong and it’s just teenagers acting out, so be it. But I’m not going to wait for somebody to get hurt before we say something publicly,” he told the outlet. “Maybe the legal system isn’t doing enough to make them shy away from that.”
Across the country, pro-Palestinian groups gathered Tuesday to commemorate the day Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 civilians, raped and tortured others, and took 251 hostages in Israel. Many groups not only justified the atrocities but praised them as “heroic.”
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