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A Boston judge refused to drop charges against protesters from the "Pride Parade" that had been disputed with police.
Judge Richard J. Sinnott of the Boston Municipal Court saw about thirty protesters on Tuesday night. He refused to remove various charges against activists, ranging from disorderly behavior to police assault, according to the Boston Globe.
The activists protested against the demonstration of right pride earlier in the day, accusing the organizers of the parade of endangering LGBT people. Later, counter-Protestants of the parade began to fight with the police and injured four officials.
Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins had asked Sinnott to show mercy to the protesters, creating an unusual scenario in which Boston's chief prosecutor was urging a judge to release suspected criminals.
"By imposing an indictment each time, the judge sanctioned the exercise of the First Amendment's right to protest," said Rollins, reprimanding the judge's decision.
"Some people have been brought to justice appropriately and will be held accountable," she said. "For people currently entangled in the criminal justice system to exercise their right to freedom of expression – many of whom had no prior criminal record – I will use the court process to to remedy the skid of the judge by his role. "
Rollins courted controversy during his tenure by giving up prosecuting minor crimes. It has pledged not to prosecute violations of 15 crime laws, which critics say would create a more dangerous environment for law-abiding citizens.
The Boston Police Union praised Sinnott's decision.
"We think that these offenders who are here, mostly out of the city of Boston, and not residents, have come here as agitators, here for a specific reason, here to wreak havoc," said the spokesman. from the Boston Police Patrolmen & # 39; s Association, Larry Calderone.
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