Police try to ID white supremacists accused of assault in Boston
Artist and activist Charles Murrell spoke near the spot where he was allegedly assaulted July 2 by members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front. (Walter Wuthmann/WBUR)
Boston police are trying to identify members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front, which marched through downtown wearing face coverings and allegedly assaulted a Black artist and activist on Saturday.
The activist, Charles Murrell, returned to the spot of the attack Monday morning — Independence Day — steps away from the Boston Public Library, and called for an end to racist violence.
Photos of the attack, published by the Boston Herald, were widely circulated on social media.
Police reports show he was treated at Tufts Medical Center for injuries to his hands and face. And his hand was bandaged when he spoke on Monday.
“I am appalled that even as a healer — I have to get my cup poured into in this incident,” he said. “But in this incident, I will continue to pour into other people’s cups as a way to pour into my own.”
Murrell plans to hold a concert and call to action later this month in Copley Square.
The Rev. Kevin Peterson, founder of the New Democracy coalition, said he was saddened but not surprised to see a white supremacist group active in Boston.
“Boston has had a long legacy of racism, in fact the city was founded on racism, slaves were imported here, and that legacy continues into 2022,” he said.
He called on Mayor Michelle Wu and the Boston City Council to form a commission to investigate racist incidents in the city.
Wu condemned the march by the white supremacists over the weekend, calling the group “cowardly” and “disgusting.”
Wu is scheduled to attend a law enforcement briefing on white supremacist activity in the region at Boston Police headquarters Tuesday afternoon.
This story was originally published by WBUR, a partner of the New England News Collaborative.