Boston police officers and Massachusetts State Police troopers made dozens of arrests during a protest that shut down traffic in Dewey Square near South Station on Thursday morning.
Jewish protestors and allies rallied to “perform disruptive civil disobedience” in the area of Summer Street and Atlantic Avenue, demanding that President Biden use his power to ensure a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and end the unconditional military aid to Israel.
“As long as Biden lends support to genocide, they will say, his administration will be unable to make its message heard or pursue other governing priorities,” the group If Not Now said in a statement. “On the morning of the State of the Union address , President Biden must hear that voters will not be pacified with meager humanitarian aid, temporary “pauses” in fighting, and equivocation. We demand an end to the flow of tax dollars for genocide. We demand a lasting ceasefire now.”
Video captured by a Boston 25 News photographer showed law enforcement officers placing a number of the protesters in handcuffs and escorting them away from the area.
In a post on X shortly before 9 a.m. , officials wrote, “Boston Police have made several arrests after today’s protest. Traffic has reopened.”
The names of those who were arrested weren’t immediately available and it wasn’t clear if they’ll face charges.
After the protest was dismantled, If Not Now claimed that more than 50 of the 300 protesters who took part in the demonstration had been taken into custody.
The protesters were spotted holding large banners that said, “Biden: Lasting Ceasefire Now” and “Our Safety is Intertwined: No Money for Gaza Massacre,” among other messages.
The action caused massive gridlock for an hour in one of Boston’s most congested transportation hubs, where Atlantic Avenue, Summer Street, Federal Street, Purchase Street, and the JFK Surface Road intersect with the Central Artery and connect to MBTA train lines and interstate bus and train routes.
If Not Now said protesters handed out flyers to commuters that linked to an open letter explaining their decision to block traffic.
In that letter, If Not Now member Dalya Lessem Elnecave stated, “We are blocking traffic because we are livid. It’s been five months since October 7, Israel’s massacre is ongoing and over 130 hostages are still held in Gaza. That Biden has not called for a lasting ceasefire with a hostage exchange deal to end this massacre is outrageous.”
Fellow If Not Now member Nathan Foster added, “We know this protest is inconveniencing a lot of people, but the situation is far beyond the level of polite letter-writing or leaving voicemails for our senators. Biden will be unable to make his message heard or pursue other governing priorities during a genocide paid for with our tax dollars and perpetrated with American weapons.”
If Not Now said similar protests were planned for other parts of the country.
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