Statement on the Emerson Student Protest Dispersion & Arrests

The right to protest is sacred. It’s at the core of our American values, and the heart of Boston’s history. In this era when our democratic institutions and norms are under attack across the country, Boston is a place where we should be especially cautious about protecting freedom of speech, particularly the right to protest.

I do not believe that the handling of the Emerson student protests reflects who we are as a city. As a Black man who grew up here in Boston, there is a lot of trauma that our communities have historically experienced with policing, which is resurfacing with some of the videos we are seeing — which show apparently physically nonviolent protestors being pushed and pulled to the ground by police officers wearing helmets and tactical gear.

As Chair of Public Safety and Criminal Justice, ensuring our public spaces are safe and passable is a top priority — but so is protecting the legal right to protest. I believe any charges against protestors who were physically nonviolent should be dropped.

We need to review this incident in detail to understand who authorized it and exactly how it unfolded — not to point fingers, but so that we can have nuanced discussions about our law enforcement protocols, so the City can do better going forward.

I will be continuing these conversations in the coming days, to ensure the City of Boston can both protect our public safety, and be a national leader in defending our democracy.