Hundreds of juveniles fight outside 2 Boston movie theaters, 13 arrested

Boston police arrested 13 juveniles Sunday after fights involving hundreds of minors broke out near two movie theaters.

In the wake of several violent incidents involving Boston’s young people, officials and experts are now calling on parents to take action and exploring how the city might address the issue. 

“This behavior is not kid behavior — it’s criminal behavior,” Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox said during a Monday press conference.

South Bay mall incident

The first incident happened Sunday afternoon at South Bay mall in Dorchester. Police received reports of a large group of juveniles fighting and responded to the area just after 4:50 p.m.

The Boston Globe wrote that “a crowd nearing 400 young people devolved into multiple violent melees outside the AMC movie theater, Target, and Starbucks, forcing those stores to close early.” 

Many of the young people did not disperse and grew confrontational with the officers, who were assaulted as they attempted to make arrests, according to Boston police. Responding officers requested assistance from the Massachusetts State Police and multiple BPD districts, leading to a large police presence in the area. 

Eight juveniles were arrested after the incident in Dorchester: a 12-year-old female, a 12-year-old male, a 14-year-old female, three 14-year-old males, a 17-year-old female, and a 17-year-old male.

Boston Common incident

Later that day, Boston police responded to the area of Washington and Avery Streets near the Boston Common Sunday night for reports of multiple young people actively fighting and causing a disturbance in the area. 

Boston police said the group consisted of about 150 juveniles, and many were among those who had caused the scene at South Bay mall, the Globe reported. 

At 10:48 p.m., Emerson College sent out a community alert about a “civil disturbance” near the AMC Boston Common movie theater. Students and staff were told to stay away from the area until it was cleared by police. At 11:20 p.m., an alert went out saying that the disturbance had moved toward the Emerson Paramount Center on Washington Street. 

According to Boston police, officers tried to break up the fights, but groups of juveniles blocked both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Police saw one juvenile jump on top of a car and stomp on its roof. 

As police tried to intervene, the juveniles assaulted them, police said. One officer was pushed to the ground and “continuously punched and kicked by the group.” As another officer tried to help, a juvenile jumped on their back and placed the officer in a chokehold. 

Two people told police they were assaulted by the juveniles outside the Godfrey Hotel on Washington Street, the Globe reported. The woman said she was “grabbed by her hair from behind and pulled to the ground and then surrounded and punched and kicked repeatedly while on the ground.”

The woman told police she and her companion were also robbed, the Globe reported, but both declined medical attention. 

Five juveniles were arrested after the incident downtown: a 13-year-old male, two 14-year-old males, a 14-year-old female, and a 16-year-old female. 

An ongoing issue

Notably, Sunday was the second annual National Cinema Day, and both AMC Boston Common and AMC South Bay were participating in the promotion by offering $4 movie tickets. 

But Sunday’s incident at South Bay mall was just the latest in a string of violent incidents involving juveniles that have occurred there in recent months. According to the Boston Herald, there has been “a dramatic increase” in juvenile crime in that area.

In mid-August, police arrested four 13-year-olds at the mall after they attacked a random victim. In late July, six teens were arrested at the mall for attacking police officers. 

On Sunday, a juvenile was also involved in a “shootout” near the Boston Caribbean Festival that left eight people injured from gunfire. 

Calling parents to action

Boston officials and experts are now calling on parents to take action to prevent violent incidents involving minors.

“Make sure you know where your kids are,” Cox said. “We are not babysitters.”

Emmett Folgert, a longtime youth outreach worker in Boston, told the Globe the city should educate parents and guardians on how to manage this behavior. 

“Show the families the video and audio of what their kids are doing and saying,” he said. “They won’t like it, and I think they’ll do something about it.”

Michael Kozu, executive director of youth programming non-profit Project R.I.G.H.T., told the Globe these juveniles acting out feel anonymous and think they won’t face consequences.

“We need to send a message that, one, that these actions are unacceptable. Two, that we want to work with you and channel your energies in a more productive direction,” Kozu said, “And three, that continued pursuit of these actions will have consequences. It can work.”

Isaac Yablo, Mayor Michelle Wu’s senior adviser for public safety, told the Globe the city needs to offer evening programming that will appeal to kids who aren’t straight-laced, such as food-centered events.

“They need to be able to eat, kick it, get their energy out,” Yablo said. “We need to be innovative.”

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