36 arrested during Straight Pride protests due in court this week

John Hilliard 3 hrs ago

Three dozen protesters arrested during a controversial Straight Pride rally and parade in Boston Saturday could be in court Tuesday, according to the Suffolk District Attorney’s office, while Boston police said they plan to review officers’ use of force during the demonstrations.

© John TLumacki/Globe Staff A person was arrested Saturday on Congress Street. That review, part of the department’s standard operating procedure, will also look at reports of injured officers, said Boston police spokesman Sergeant John Boyle on Sunday.

Four officers suffered non-life-threatening injuries in connection with Saturday’s demonstrations, when about 200 marched in a parade to celebrate traditional families and defend heterosexuality, proponents said.

The parade, which began in Copley Square and ended in a rally at City Hall Plaza, was organized by a group called Super Happy Fun America. The group and its event were blasted by critics as homophobic.

Marchers were outnumbered along the parade route by thousands of protesters, many of whom gathered behind police barricades along Congress Street near City Hall.

On Sunday, Boston police released the names of the 36 people who were arrested Saturday, and the charges they face.

They are due to be arraigned at the Central Division of Boston Municipal Court, though it was unclear whether all would appear in court Tuesday, according to Renee Algarin, a spokeswoman for the Suffolk District Attorney’s office.

“We respect the rights of individuals to protest and take part in the democratic process. However, that right never trumps acts of violence or behavior that creates a risk for other participants, bystanders, or police,” Algarin said in a statement. “We’re reviewing each arrest and will make informed decisions based on the facts of each and the policies of this office.”

US Representative Ayanna Pressley, a Boston Democrat, praised those who opposed Saturday’s march in a Twitter post.

“TY to the allies & accomplices who stood in the gap & laid their bodies on the line today in affront #LGBT hate march,” Pressley said in the statement Saturday. “To everyone feeling unseen & vulnerable today...we got you. Equitable outrage. Our destinies & freedoms are tied.”

Pressley also posted a link to a fund which collected donations to cover legal fees and other expenses connected with “unplanned arrests” in connection with protesting the march, according to the fund-raiser’s website.

On social media Sunday, users posted videos of encounters between police and protestors, including one showing a pair of officers discharge pepper spray at protesters, forcing them back.

twitter.com/lizzieheintz/status/1167918463995633664

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Poster Comment:

During an LGBT hate march? Now our politicians are glorifying the queers.

Remember what God did to Sodom and Gomorrah.