Boston was abuzz with more than just political rhetoric Tuesday night, as pro-Palestinian protestors made their voices heard during Mayor Michelle Wu’s State of the City address. Disrupting the ceremony at MGM Music Hall with a banner condemning the city for complicity in genocide, several activists were handcuffed and detained by Boston police, WHDH reports.
Vocalizing their cause, the demonstration escalated quickly as Mayor Wu was stepping up to the podium, leading to police intervention, with the activists escorted out and placed in police vehicles waiting. The exact number of individuals arrested, nor the nature of the charges brought against them, were not immediately disclosed.
From the stage, Wu responded to the incident with poise, affirming the ideals of free speech: "This is democracy at work and we are a city for all voices," she asserted during her address. Despite the disturbance, the mayor stayed on message, talking up city initiatives and policies designed to foster a more inclusive community, according to WHDH.
Among the touted measures, Mayor Wu announced a new program starting February 2024 which affords all BPS students along with up to three family members free access to several of the city's cultural institutions on the first and second Sundays of each month. While the details of the protestors’ arraignment remained unclear, Boston police confirmed that the activists are to be arraigned on Wednesday in Roxbury District Court, as per Sergeant Detective John Boyle in a statement obtained by the Boston Globe.
