Four officers were hospitalized after clashing with pro-Palestinian protesters in Boston on Tuesday, the two-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel.
Thirteen protesters were arrested, Boston police said. On Oct. 7, 2023, the terror group Hamas murdered 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped more than 250 people to Gaza, with several still being held hostage.
The protest was organized by area Students for Justice in Palestine groups, according to social media posts. Organizers called on protesters to urge their universities to divest from companies with economic ties to Israel.
About 200-300 protesters blocked Tremont Street near Winter Street, preventing police vehicles from passing, Boston police said in a release.
Many protesters, wearing facial coverings and gloves, interlocked arms, chanted over amplified bullhorns, and refused to clear the roadway, police said.
Protesters chanted "F*** you Nazis" and "BPD is KKK," referencing the Boston Police Department, according to a police report obtained by the Boston Herald.
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.
One officer was struck in the face, while protesters ignited smoke devices and flares, police said.
Officers had their equipment removed or damaged, including body-worn cameras, radios, bicycles, and other duty gear, police said.
The four officers sustained nonlife-threatening injuries, police said.
One police officer sustained a broken nose and will likely need plastic surgery to rebuild and repair his nose, according to the police report.
None of the arrestees required medical attention, police said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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