Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins said Tuesday prosecutors are taking additional time to consider how her office will move forward in the cases of 10 people involved in hanging the “Climate Justice Now” banner from Kenmore Square’s Citgo sign earlier this week.
Eight men were arrested and two women were summoned to court on charges of trespassing and disturbing police after authorities say they entered the construction site at 660 Beacon St. and made their way to the roof of the building for the protest Monday evening.
The 42-foot banner was unfurled and hoisted for display for about 20 minutes before strong winds prompted the protesters, who are members of the environmental activist group Extinction Rebellion, to take it down, their spokesperson said.
Police at the scene requested additional assistance to make certain everyone on the roof descended safely, officials said.
According to Rollins’ office, the protesters climbed exterior scaffolding on the building to reach the sign.
In Roxbury District Court Tuesday, prosecutors were granted a request to continue the arraignments of the 10 individuals until Aug. 26, Rollins’ office said in a press release.
While the charges they face are included on Rollins’ list of 15 non-violent crimes that are often prioritized for declination or pre-arraignment diversion, Rollins said the decision over whether her office will prosecute alleged offenders is only made after prosecutors consider all of the facts of a given case.
“The First Amendment right to speak and protest freely is one that will be protected in Suffolk County, but the safety of the public and our first responders will not be sacrificed in the process,” Rollins said in a statement. “No right is absolute. Each of these individuals willingly put themselves at great risk by climbing up a structure to execute their plan, and then required numerous members of the Boston Police Department and Boston Fire Department to respond and assist them back to the ground safely.”
Rollins said she has instructed prosecutors to take more time to review “all of the facts of this incident, all of the risks it created, and the costs that the City of Boston incurred as a result.”
“Once I have that information, we will determine the next steps in court,” she added.
According to Boston police, the individuals arrested Monday night include: James Comiskey, 30, of Roxbury; Jason Rudokas, 43, of Arlington; Allen McGonagill, 30, of Somerville; Seward Ogden, 60, of Putnam, Vermont; Thomas Davis, 35, of Cambridge; Alexander Chambers, 21, of Boylston; William Livernois, 24, of Newnan, Georgia; and Johannes Vulto, 60, of Brookline.
Two women — a 57-year-old Putney, Vermont, resident and a 56-year-old Brooklyn, New York, resident — were summoned to court.
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