In an email to The Beacon on Thursday night, James Borghesani, Chief of Communications for the Suffolk County District Attorney, said that prosecutors anticipate filing their decision to drop these charges, also known as a nolle prosequi, on Friday. This dismissal will apply only to inciting a riot felonies that seven protesters—including three Emerson students—were charged with in October.
“Sufficient probable cause existed for the initial charging decision,” Borghesani wrote in the email. “However, after extensive further investigation, we determined we are unable to meet our reasonable doubt burden moving forward. Accordingly, we are ethically obliged to nol pros the inciting to riot charges. All other charges remain in place.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article reported on the contents of a meeting between faculty leadership and the Provost’s office.
After further communication with sources, we have verified that there is ambiguity around participants’ interpretations of a discussion point in the meeting. The Beacon has decided to remove the section to prevent confusion and distraction from the rest of the story.
All seven protesters—three of whom are Emerson students—charged with inciting a riot for their involvement in an Oct. 7 protest by Boston Common will have these charges dropped by the Suffolk County District Attorney, a DA spokesperson told The Beacon.
Since the arrest of 13 protesters, the charged students have also faced on-campus disciplinary measures at Emerson. An attorney close to the case confirmed that at least one student has been fully suspended from class attendance and academic activities, and has yet to return. Multiple faculty members attested to similar actions being taken against additional students, though some have returned to their classes and activities.
Faculty members have raised concerns about a lack of “due process” in taking what the school calls “interim administrative measures,” and worry about the precedent it could set for future disciplinary actions.
A handful of leaders within the faculty assembly and full-time faculty union sent an email to the administration on Oct. 17 to request a meeting with administrators. The email advocated for transparency, expressing concern that the implications of charges and disciplinary action against students might restrict free speech or hinder students’ ability to participate in their academics. The Beacon has confirmed that a meeting took place between faculty leadership, Provost Alexandra Socarides, and Dean of Faculty Brooke Knight.
The arrests began shortly before 7 p.m., after protesters marched up Tremont Street and clashed with police near the station. According to a Boston Police report, protesters surrounded police cruisers and kicked their doors, resisting efforts to move them to the sidewalk for emergency vehicle access.
Beacon reporters on the scene saw protesters detained by several officers; one protester suffered a possible leg injury after being tackled, and another was treated by fellow protesters for pepper spray exposure, which Boston Police confirmed was used against protesters. Boston Police reported no arrestees required medical attention.
Several protesters, including three Emerson students, were charged with assault and battery on a police officer; these misdemeanors, and others, have not been dropped.
According to Boston Police, one officer was struck in the face, and four were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. While felony charges against the Emerson students have been dismissed, a Tufts University student remains charged with felonious assault and battery and destruction of property. Two Greater Boston residents, who are not college students, also continue to be charged with felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Criminal anarchy—or “inciting a riot”—charges are not regularly deployed statutes, according to an attorney involved in the case. The charge is defined as saying or showing something, through speech, writing, or pictures, that encourages or urges others to attack a public official, kill someone, destroy property illegally, or overthrow the state or U.S. government by force or other illegal means.
A police report referred to a poster from social media depicting a police car “engulfed in flames” as part of the reason for the pursuit of anarchy charges.
Graphic Iselin Bratz
“After consultation with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, officers believe they have probable cause that this group intended to conduct their rally and march in such a way that it induced fear, caused destruction and disruption, caused injury, and promoted anarchy,” the report said.
Six protesters, including one Emerson student, were arraigned during the first batch of court appearances on Oct. 8 and received misdemeanor assembly, arrest, assault and battery, or disturbance-related charges. The additional seven protesters were arraigned on Oct. 9 and faced many similar charges, as well as a felony promotion of anarchy charge.
On Nov. 6, at the most recent pre-trial hearing for 5 protesters, including one Emerson student, cases were heard together with counsel for multiple defendants present at the defense table. The seven protesters whose anarchy charges will be dropped have not been in court since Oct. 31.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that all 13 cases were heard together at a Nov. 6 pre-trial hearing, when only five were heard on that date.
College faculty write to administration, express concern
On Oct. 17, 10 members of Emerson’s full-time faculty union, as well as leadership within the faculty assembly, signed and sent an email to Associate Vice President and Dean of Students William Petrick, Vice President of Student Affairs Christie Anglade, Socarides, and President Jay Bernhardt, expressing concern over on-campus discipline for arrested protesters and requesting a meeting with them. At the time of the faculty email to the administration, impacted students had already missed class for over a week.
The letter said students who are charged with violating community standards are entitled to resolution processes and can choose their hearing type, as outlined in the Student Conduct Process.
“If students have been charged with violating the law off-campus, and in actions not related to their studies on campus, we cannot prejudge the outcome of external legal trials,” the letter said. “Such events are still governed by the U.S. Constitution, and we must assume, as we must for all illegal acts, that the individuals are innocent until proven guilty. Even interim measures create a punitive structure for the students involved.”
The email concluded that interim policies hinder students’ ability to attend class, and any perceived “arbitrary action” creates an environment inconducive to teaching and learning.
The signatories also requested a meeting to discuss concerns with the administration, which multiple faculty told The Beacon later took place with select members.
Heather May, who is vice president of the faculty union and a senior lecturer in the communications studies department, was one of the faculty who signed the letter. She told The Beacon she and several other faculty received emails from William Petrick, Dean of the Office of Community Standards, on Oct. 14, informing them a student of theirs was “subject to interim administrative measures.”
In this email, Petrick wrote that students subject to measures “will not be attending class, submitting coursework, or participating in any class-related activities,” and instructed teachers not to “solicit or accept assignments or other submissions from this student.”
“If you don’t want [them] on campus right away, because they need to go through a process, fine, I don’t agree with it … but why can’t they keep up with their coursework?” May said. “If they are able to come back to class, they’ll be so far behind that we are making it virtually impossible for them to do well.”
Julia Halperin, an associate professor in the School of Film and an elected leader within the full-time faculty union, expressed concern for the precedent these disciplinary measures set.
“It’s a punishment that was enacted on students for participating in a protest off of Emerson’s campus. I think that’s a very slippery and disturbing slope,” Halperin said.
In an email statement to The Beacon, a college spokesperson said the college is following its policies and “does not preemptively punish students or prejudge anyone’s potential responsibility or accountability.”
On-campus consequences for protesters
The Interim Administrative Measures have garnered much criticism from faculty members, who claim that they were not communicated prior to this incident. The measures include removal from campus housing and suspension from the college, and are applied if the college considers an individual to be “an imminent threat to the community,” according to its website.
These measures are typically issued before an investigation of alleged misconduct takes place. Investigations of potential violations are addressed through the Student Conduct Process, and any interim administrative measure remains in effect pending the outcome of the process.
Halperin said she is concerned Emerson is not following proper due process in the restrictions to students, adding that it’s the disciplinary panel that decides if a student is responsible for the violation of a College Policy, yet the panel hasn’t convened in over 18 months.
Instead, the administration said in their meeting that a “threat assessment team” was in charge of the matter. She said it is unclear if there is faculty representation on this team.
“Who’s deciding what’s a threat, and by what standard?” Halperin questioned. “Nobody knows.”
Halperin said she believes it is a “bizarre distortion” to say these students were protesting violently. She claimed that it is the content of the protests themselves, not the fact that they took place, that has upset the administration.
Faculty call for transparency, question political agendas
James McManus, an affiliated journalism professor who specializes in law and ethics, said the charges against students are meant to set an example that prosecutors will take police clashes seriously.
The anarchy charges, in McManus’ opinion, are not just an effort to suppress the First Amendment, but also an effort to make an example of the 13 protesters from Oct. 7. He said this shows the federal government that Boston is not “soft on crime.” Both Mayor Michelle Wu and Governor Maura Healey also made statements in support of the police and prosecution in this case. Some have speculated this is meant to discourage the Trump administration from deploying the National Guard to Boston, as it has in other Democrat-led cities.
What’s next
Throughout October and November, the prosecution requested delays in pre-trial proceedings and the arraignment of any new charges against protesters as they obtained and reviewed more video evidence of the protest. Most protesters, including many of those who have had felony charges dropped, have pre-trial hearings scheduled for Dec. 16.
In one Emerson student’s case, whose original charges did not include the felony, the proceedings prompted an additional hearing. The hearing may determine compliance in the exchange of case evidence or deal with trial decisions. That is scheduled to take place on Jan. 22, 2026.
Bryan Hecht – Bryan Hecht (he/him) is a senior journalism major from Havertown, Pennsylvania. He currently works as a Business co-op at The Boston Globe, but was previously News Editor of The Berkeley Beacon, and has been involved with The Beacon since 2023. As a member of the Emerson Cross Country team, Bryan can likely be found on a run when he’s not writing stories. He also serves as the Vice President of Emerson’s Chapter of The Society of Professional Journalists.
Meg Richards is a senior journalism and political communication double major who previously served as Editor-in-Chief of The Beacon in Fall 2025. With a focus on investigative reporting, character-driven features, and human interest stories, Meg has dedicated their time to The Beacon for eight semesters now. Meg has been nominated and awarded in The EVVYs for their opinion pieces, and previously wrote for Cambridge Day and Washington City Paper. Originally from Richmond, Va., Meg is an avid enjoyer of sweet tea and saying “bless your heart.”
Iselin Bratz is the Editor in Chief for The Beacon for Spring 2026. She is a Senior journalism major and political communications minor from Camden, Maine. Her work has earned her several awards from Emerson, including an Evvy for Outstanding Sports Article, a Community Journalism award for Ethical Reporting, and several Evvy nominations for Outstanding News Article. She gravitates to political and policy reporting, hoping to one day be a statehouse or international reporter. Her true passion lies in stories that show the human focus behind big agency decisions, from politics, to businesses, to college administrations like Emerson. Outside of the Beacon her work can be found at The Maine Monitor, Maine Public Media, and The Cambridge Day. When she takes off her journalist hat she can be found enjoying the outdoors—skiing, hiking, paddle boarding, and rowing—or relaxing with crochet and reality TV.
US Universities are suppressing free speech instead of defending it. They are punishing students who oppose war and genocide instead of being proud of them. University administrators are embracing the Trumpian mindset instead of denouncing it.
US Universities are suppressing free speech instead of defending it. They are punishing students who oppose war and genocide instead of being proud of them. University administrators are embracing the Trumpian mindset instead of denouncing it.