Department of Justice says antisemitism task force plans to visit Boston

U.S. Department of Justice says a federal antisemitism task force is planning to visit Boston and three other major cities to discuss the mayors' responses "incidents of antisemitism at schools and on college campuses."

Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell notified four Democrat mayors Thursday — Michelle Wu of Boston, Eric Adams of New York, Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Brandon Johnson of Chicago — that the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism wants to meet "soon."

The DOJ said that the task force "was aware of allegations that the schools in their respective cities may have failed to protect Jewish students from unlawful discrimination, in potential violation of federal law" and that Terrell plans for the task force to meet with city leaders, impacted students, local law enforcement and community members as it "considers whether federal intervention is warranted."

"Too many elected officials chose not to stand up to a rising tide of antisemitism in our cities and campuses following the horrific events of October 7, 2023," U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. "Actions have consequences — inaction does, too."

"Boston has one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in America, a source of pride and strength for our City and our region, and we stand firmly against antisemitism," a city spokesperson told WBUR. "We were made aware of this inquiry from media reports and will determine the right way to participate as we learn more and discuss with our Jewish community leaders and partners."

As part of a national wave of protests and subsequent student arrests sparked by the Israel-Hamas war, a number of encampments cropped up last year on Boston campuses, including at Northeastern University and Emerson College.

Campus and State Police cleared a pro-Palestinian encampment at Northeastern following reports of antisemitic jeers, which led to nearly 100 arrests. And Wu said she made the decision with Police Commissioner Michael Cox to clear the encampment from a public alleyway at Emerson, a move that resulted in more than 100 arrests.

"The Task Force looks forward to meeting with the mayors and other municipal leaders in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston to quickly and effectively identify ways that, working together or apart, we return safety, civility, and sanity to our nation's schools," Terrell said. "These meetings, in conjunction with our visits to university campuses around the country, are just two of the many actions President Trump and Attorney General Bondi are taking to end this scourge of anti-Semitism."