Salem joint war protest in Gaza: Police vow not to tolerate violence

Salem police said they will respect free speech but will not “tolerate violence or destruction.”

Jun 26, 2024 11:06 am EDT | Updated Jun 26, 2024 12:58 PM EDT

SALEM, MA — Salem police said Wednesday morning that they are aware of plans for a demonstration on Salem Common protesting the war in Gaza and that they “will not tolerate violence or destruction.”

Police did not say which group was planning the protest – nor did they give any indication why the demonstration could be expected to become unruly in any way – and said they would “respect freedom of expression”. But they issued an awareness statement ahead of the protest to reassure residents that they would be vigilant.

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“We will enforce applicable laws while respecting freedom of expression,” police said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)