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‘Slap on the wrist’: Man who threatened pro-Palestinian protesters in Cambridge with a hatchet gets probation
Matthew Freeman was sentenced to one year of probation, which includes online classes on Islamophobia and mental health and anger management evaluations.
The man who threatened pro-Palestinian protesters in Cambridge with a hatchet last year was sentenced to one year of probation last week, which includes a requirement to attend online classes on Islamophobia.
Matthew Freeman, of North Billerica, pleaded guilty to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and a misdemeanor civil rights violation last Tuesday, avoiding jail time, Cambridge District Court records show.
Freeman was charged after he was accused of hitting Fawaz Abusharkh with his car and threatening protesters with what appeared to be a hatchet on Aug. 10. The crowd gathered in the Cambridge Common for a marched dubbed “Rise Up for Gaza.”
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In an expletive-laced video shared by protest organizers, Freeman clashed with protesters in Harvard Square, where he said he would “f–ing kill” protesters, whom he referred to as “Nazis,” and used a homophobic slur.
The state chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR-MA, represented Abusharkh. At the time, CAIR-MA said he was allegedly struck by the car door “when (Freeman) opened it to menace protesters with his axe,” the organization said.
Freeman’s probation will end in January of 2027, according to court documents. He must complete a court-ordered mental health evaluation and follow-up and an anger management evaluation and follow-up, stay away from the victim, and have no dangerous weapons or firearms.
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The probation sentence also requires Freeman to complete two online courses on Islamophobia through the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, the court documents say.
“It seems like he just got a slap on the wrist,” Abusharkh said in a statement. “Can you imagine if the roles were reversed? If I, a Palestinian Muslim, had threatened Freeman with an axe while screaming death threats?”
Freeman’s lawyer James Peterson said in a statement that Freeman “accepted responsibility for his actions” and “regrets his actions fully.”
“He never set out to interrupt or impede a protest on August 6, 2025. He was merely on his way home from Boston when he drove into a hornet’s nest,” Peterson said. “His means of egress was blocked, and his car was surrounded by protesters. Mr. Freeman suffers from panic-anxiety disorder when he finds himself in crowds.”
‘He threatened to kill me with his axe. I hope nobody forgets that’
In his two-page victim impact statement, Abusharkh described a chaotic situation, where he was “afraid that (Freeman) might do something terrible because he was so out of control.”
“It was clear to me that he needs some serious help with his mental health. But that can be done without sacrificing my right to justice and accountability,” Abusharkh told the court. “I hope the court won’t reduce me to a mere symptom of Mr. Freeman’s need for services. He threatened to kill me with his axe. I hope nobody forgets that.”
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Barbara Dougan, CAIR-MA’s legal director, said the organization advocated for a more serious punishment “given the level of threatened violence.”
“Nevertheless, we are pleased that this matter has been resolved,” Dougan said. “We thank the Middlesex DA’s office for recognizing that Freeman interfered with Mr. Abusharkh’s constitutional right to criticize a foreign government – a right that is increasingly under attack.”
Freeman voluntarily submitted to the mental health evaluation, has already completed the 12-week anger management course, and continues to attend classes, his lawyer said.
“Mr. Freeman attempted to apologize to Mr. Abusharkh in person through CAIR’s counsel both prior to his plea date, and again at the completion of his plea,” Peterson said. “Mr. Abusharkh denied Mr. Freeman’s request to accept his apology on both occasions.”
This article was updated to include comments from Freeman’s lawyer.
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