A pro-Palestinian protest marking the second anniversary of the start of the Israel-Hamas war culminated in more than a dozen arrests after an altercation between protesters and police descended into violence. 

Hundreds of protesters — many of them in their 20s and 30s — gathered around The Embrace statue in Boston Common Tuesday evening to advocate against the complicity of the U.S. government in the Israel-Hamas war. 

Oct. 7 was the two-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, during which approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Since 2023, Israel’s retaliatory campaign in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians and wounded nearly 170,000, according to NPR. The death toll does not include the thousands of people believed to be buried under the rubble. 

At around 6:46 p.m., officers responding to an unrelated emergency were blocked by protesters flooding Tremont Street near Winter Street, according to a statement by the Boston Police Department. 

When police attempted to clear the roadway, protesters swarmed, kicked the vehicles and “resisted dispersal efforts,” according to the statement. Protesters also ignited smoke devices and flares, and additional police resources were then deployed to the intersection. 

Officers tackled and arrested a handful of protesters, shoving back others to maintain a circular barricade around the detainees. 

One protester was forced to the ground after an officer grabbed him by his neck.  

Another protester screamed at an officer to “get your hands off,” referring to a protester who was already on his knees being pinned to the ground.

Officers reported their equipment — including bicycles, radios and body-cameras — were forcibly removed or damaged, according to the statement. 

“Despite these challenges, officers made numerous arrests of individuals engaged in unlawful assembly, violent resistance, and the obstruction of emergency response efforts,” the statement reads. 

Thirteen people were arrested, and four police officers sustained non-life threatening injuries, according to the statement. 

The detainees, which include multiple Emerson College students, did not require medical attention, the statement reported. All are expected to be arraigned in Boston Municipal Court. 

Prior to the disorder, the protest was peaceful.

Some protesters wore shawls, hoodies, dark clothing and masks. Palestinian flags were flown, and signs bobbed above the crowd. 

One sign read, “Respect existence or expect resistance,” while another asked the federal government to “Stop using our tax dollars to fund a genocide.” 

Government officials in Boston “should not be cowards,” said 30-year-old protester Casey Diana, a Worcester resident. 

“Stand up for Palestine, stand up for children who are starving, stand against [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee],” Diana said. “Don’t be a coward against genocide.”

When the crowd started walking toward Tremont Street at about 6:40 p.m., more than 20 officers were present at the scene.

Mimi, a protester and Northeastern University student, asked to use a pseudonym for personal safety and fear of retribution from their university. 

Shortly after the demonstration, Mimi wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press that the anniversary marks “two years since the people of Gaza courageously resisted the inhumane occupation and concentration camp in which they live.”

Nearly all Gazan residents are facing food insecurity, and more than 1 million have been displaced since ceasefire talks in March collapsed. The United Nations declared Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. 

“This rally is a reminder that we stand by the people of Palestine, as the Zionist entity has slaughtered over 600,000 people in the past two years, and support their fight for liberation against their oppressors,” Mimi wrote.

Gidon Ben Rivka, a Jewish resident of Cambridge, viewed the protest from the sidelines, and said he was disturbed to see protesters “celebrating” the events of Oct. 7, 2023. 

“[It was the] worst day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” he said. “And not just Jewish people. There were Christians. There were Thai people. There were tons of civilians who were kidnapped and murdered. Really a tragedy for the whole world.”

While indirect peace talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Egypt Tuesday, protesters expressed doubt that any tangible progress was being made. 

“The peace talks are a distraction from the reality that the Zionist entity is continuing to drop bombs every single day on the people of Gaza,” Mimi wrote.

Protester Emma Holbrook, a 24-year-old Acton resident, said there are many issues with the peace talks and expressed distrust in Israel. 

“If Israel was a trustworthy state, it would go through,” she said. “There’s a lot of problems with the plan, they expect basically a surrender to their settler colonial agenda.”

Protesters asserted their dedication to remaining united in sustained resistance.

“The ‘Free Palestine’ movement has been here, and we will stay,” Mimi wrote. “When people are occupied, resistance is justified.”