The head of the union representing Boston police officers claimed that officers were led into a “trap” on Tuesday night during a pro-Palestinian demonstration that escalated to violence.

According to police reports, 13 individuals were apprehended after exhibiting violence towards law enforcement and obstructing a complete intersection. The Boston Police Department stated that agitators directly attacked officers amid the chaos.

“As officers tried to relocate the crowd to the sidewalk to ensure emergency vehicles had passage, protesters encircled police vehicles, kicked at vehicle doors, and resisted efforts to disperse. During this time, multiple officers faced assaults, including one officer being hit in the face. Protesters also set off smoke devices and flares, putting both officers and the public at risk,” relayed the Boston Police Department in a release.

Some officers noted that rioters were actively snatching and damaging their gear. Officials reported that four officers sustained injuries from the disturbances.

Police detain a pro-Palestinian agitator Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Boston.  (Bryan Hecht/The Berkeley Beacon via AP)

The detainees faced charges such as unlawful assembly, violent resistance, obstruction of emergency services, and assault. Prosecutors later intensified the charges for all 13, accusing them of felony “promotion of anarchy.”

As reported by Boston.com, the protest was initially organized by local Students for Justice in Palestine groups, aligning with the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terrorist attack.

A spokesperson for the district attorney’s office told the Boston Herald the upgraded charges came after a Boston Police Department review of posters promoting the so-called protest, which featured a quote from a Hamas spokesperson and a burning police cruiser.

A court officer clears the area outside of a courtroom, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at Boston Municipal Court, where arraignments were held for agitators arrested at a pro-Palestinian melee in Boston. (Mark Stockwell/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

“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.

“Further investigation revealed violent imagery and rhetoric used in promotional media for the Oct. 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.”