Between 200 and 300 people participated in a demonstration in downtown Boston on Tuesday night after what began as a pro-Palestinian protest quickly turned into a riot.

In total, 13 people were arrested after police say people in the group became violent toward police officers. The agitators also blocked an intersection, according to police.

“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. Several officers were assaulted during this period, including one struck in the face. Protesters also ignited smoke devices and flares, further endangering officers and bystanders,” the Boston Police Department said in a statement.

Police said “as violence escalated,” more officers were deployed to the area while agitators “continued to resist dispersal.”

Police detain a pro-Palestinian rioter on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, in Boston.  (Bryan Hecht/The Berkeley Beacon via AP)

According to Boston.com, the initial protest was organized by local Students for Justice in Palestine chapters, which coincided with the two-year mark of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack by Hamas.

The protest was intended to “flood downtown for Palestine.”

According to the report, people yelled “F— you, Nazis” and “BPD is KKK” as they refused to leave the area.

A court officer clears the area outside of a courtroom, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025, at Boston Municipal Court, where arraignments were held for people arrested at a pro-Palestinian rally in Boston. (Mark Stockwell/The Boston Herald via AP, Pool)

In a statement, Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu said that those who engaged in attacks on police will be prosecuted to the “fullest extent of the law.”

“We are extremely grateful for the work of the Boston Police in keeping the city safe and in supporting the right to peacefully protest. 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,” Wu said.

Protesters on Wednesday also showed up to the arraignments of those who were arrested during the riot on Tuesday night, according to the Boston Herald.