Boise police arrested two women on suspicion of malicious harassment Thursday night after they had a confrontation with a Jewish man sitting in a restaurant with his wife.
Boise to Palestine, a local pro-Palestinian movement, said on Instagram that the two women were “unjustly arrested” and were simply exercising their right to free speech in a public space, not being anti-Semitic or threatening. A representative for one of the women told the court Friday that the case was a First Amendment matter and would be vigorously fought.
However, Boise Police Chief Ron Winegar said in a department news release announcing the arrests that the “hateful” behavior was unacceptable.
“Freedom of speech does not give anyone the right to break laws or target individuals based on their religion, race or identity,” Winegar said. “We take incidents involving hateful bias very seriously and want to ensure everyone continues to feel safe and welcome in our community. We appreciate the steps our officers are taking to address the immediate issue and further investigate this incident.”
The two women approached the couple outside a business near the corner of 8th and Idaho streets. The man “was wearing a kippah or yamaka,” a traditional head covering for Jewish men, Boise police said in the statement.
The two women made comments about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the statement said, leading to an argument. The women walked away but returned, leading to a second interaction in which one of the women put a phone in the man’s face, hitting him in the nose, police said.
Tensions have been high across the country due to violence in the Middle East since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel responded with massive military force. A pro-Palestinian protest has been taking place near the Idaho Capitol along Jefferson Street since May.
