Crime
The riot charges were initially added to misdemeanor charges that the protesters were facing, but have since been dropped.
Riot charges against seven pro-Palestine protesters who were arrested at an Oct. 7 rally that turned violent have been dropped, court records show.
The seven defendants were initially charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and disturbing the peace, according to court records. They include Atalanta Carrig-Braun, 20, of Boston; Osama El Khatib, 26, of Watertown; Styx Hatch, 19, of Boston; Haley MacIntyre, 24, of Dorchester; Jacob Pettigrew, 22, of Malden; Gabrielle Smith, 28, of Cambridge; and Madeline Weikel, 27, of Watertown.
Later that week, all seven protesters were additionally charged with inciting a riot, but on Friday, those further charges were dropped, court records show. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office cited a lack of probable cause as the reason for the charge being dropped, but affirmed that the original charges will stay.
“Sufficient probable cause existed for the initial charging decision. However, after extensive further investigation we determined we were unable to meet our reasonable doubt burden moving forward,” James Borghesani, a spokesperson for the DA’s office, said in a statement. “Accordingly, we were ethically obliged to nol pros the inciting to riot charges. All other charges remain in place.”
The changes were filed in the central division of Boston Municipal Court, where the protesters were arraigned in October. Since inciting a riot was the only felony charge attributed to the defendants, they now primarily face misdemeanor charges.
Charges of inciting a riot against six other defendants still remain as of Sunday, according to court records. Those defendants are Amun Prophet, 25, of Allston; Laith Hintzman, 19, of Boston; Benjamin Choucroun, 20, of Medford; Prahlad Iyengar, 25, of Boston; Roder Atwood, 21, of Somerville; and Owen Woodcock, 26, of Boston.
The protesters were arrested at a rally in Boston Common that left four Boston police officers injured. The demonstration coincided with the second anniversary of Hamas-led attacks in Israel that incited a war in Gaza and was organized by multiple local Students for Justice in Palestine chapters.
The alleged violence began when Boston police officers were attempting to respond to an unrelated emergency three blocks away, but found hundreds of protesters blocking the road. Police said in a statement at the time that the protesters refused to move out of the way and quickly became hostile.
“When officers attempted to move the group to the sidewalk to allow emergency vehicles to pass, protesters surrounded police cruisers, kicked vehicle doors, and resisted dispersal efforts,” police said. “Several officers were assaulted during this period, including one struck in the face. Protesters also ignited smoke devices and flares, further endangering officers and bystanders.”
One protester allegedly struck an officer in the face, breaking his nose, and another was sprayed in the face with what appeared to be pepper spray, police said in their report. A total of four officers were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries as a result of the chaos.
The seven defendants are due back in court Dec. 16 for the original charges against them, according to court records.
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