A Tufts student accused of assaulting a Boston police officer in connection with a pro-Palestinian demonstration in downtown Boston was ordered held on $10,000 bail Wednesday.
The protest that started on Boston Common fell on the two year anniversary of Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel that initiated the war in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. The remembrance has sparked protests across the United States and in Europe.
In Boston, the event resulted in four officers being hospitalized, including one with a broken nose.
Roder Atwood, 21 of Somerville, was one of 13 people arrested Tuesday night. He pleaded not guilty to the assault charge along with several others, including destruction of property and assault and battery on a police officer causing serious bodily injury.
Inside the courtroom Wednesday, his attorney pleaded for his release, citing Atwood’s lack of a criminal record.
But prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $10,000. They referenced a lengthy police report on the incident and said that Atwood was specifically accused of punching an officer in the face and breaking that person’s nose.
A spokesperson for Tufts University said in a statement Wednesday that the allegations against Atwood are “serious and concerning.”
“We are working with Boston police to obtain more information, and we will hold accountable any student who is found to have broken the law or violated university policy or our code of conduct,” said Patrick Collins, Tufts’ executive director of media relations.
Prosecutors declined to request bail for five other protesters arraigned Wednesday who were all facing less severe charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and disturbing the peace.
Still, Judge James M. Stanton ordered each defendant held on bail, ranging from $500 to $1,000.
The five, Amun Prophet, 25, of Allston; Laith Hintzman, 19, of Boston; Benjamin Choucroun, 20, of Medford; Owen Woodcock, 26, of Boston; and Prahlad Iyengar, 25, of Boston, were all taken into custody Wednesday. It is unclear whether they have legal representation.
The remaining seven protesters are expected to be arraigned Thursday.
Court proceedings were stalled Wednesday amid an ongoing work stoppage by some attorneys who represent indigent clients, who are seeking higher wages. The monthslong strike has left many people facing criminal accusations to stand before the judge and speak to the charges against them without legal representation.
In a statement, Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden rejected the idea that the defendants were being criminalized for protesting.
“They were in court because they committed crimes,” Hayden said. “If you assault police and commit other offenses you’re going to be arrested and prosecuted, period.
“Peaceful protests happen all the time in this city,” he continued. “We support everyone’s right to protest. But these individuals chose against protesting peacefully and they are now facing the consequences of those choices.”
On Tuesday afternoon, multiple pro-Palestinian groups posted flyers about the protest online. One event flyer, according a copy of the incident police report obtained by GBH News, featured a picture of a burning police car.
Boston police say several officers were injured during interactions with the protesters, and four were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries. Prosecutors said in court those injuries include pepper spray exposure, a finger injury and a lower-back injury from carrying a protester to a wagon for transport.
The arrests and injuries followed protesters blocking a portion of Tremont Street, according to police.
“Officers engaged in crowd control to restore order and effect lawful arrests,” the department said in a statement.
“During the disturbance, officers reported equipment being forcibly removed or damaged, including body-worn cameras, radios, bicycles, and other duty gear. Despite these challenges, officers made numerous arrests of individuals engaged in unlawful assembly, violent resistance, and the obstruction of emergency response efforts.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu condemned the incident in a statement.
“We are extremely grateful for the work of the Boston Police in keeping the city safe and in supporting the right to peacefully protest,” said Wu. “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.”
At an event Wednesday morning, Wu weighed in on the possibly that the Trump administration could use the arrests and injuries to police officers as a pretext for deploying National Guard troops to Boston. President Donald Trump has sent members of the National Guard to Democratic-led cities, like Chicago and Portland, Ore.
“Certainly we know the federal government is looking for any and every opportunity to illegally extend their power,” Wu said. “We’ve seen that take place in cities around the country, we’re following those cases very closely.”
Craig LeMoult contributed reporting.
This is a developing story.
