Man arraigned after alleged State Street disorderly conduct
By Antonio Machado
Associate Editor
By Avery Slavin
News Editor
A man was arraigned in Framingham District Court Oct. 7 after alleged disorderly conduct on the sidewalk adjacent to the McCarthy Center.
The individual, Jacob Polcari, was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct on State Street by Framingham State University Police officers on Oct. 6, according to the Framingham District Court.
Polcari was on the sidewalk outside of the McCarthy Center Tuesday with anti-abortion posters. He and another individual were not on University property, as the sidewalk and State Street are public ways.
There will be a pre-trial hearing on Nov. 18. Polcari pleaded not guilty to both of his disorderly conduct charges during his arraignment, according to the Framingham District Court docket.
Polcari was released on bail with pre-trial conditions to stay away from the alleged victim and any witnesses, alongside a court-ordered location, according to the Framingham District Court.
Polcari, along with another individual, came to State Street on the day of the arrest holding signs and wearing merchandise from the organization Abolitionists Rising, an anti-abortion, Christian activist group.
According to eyewitnesses, the pair were allegedly recording students while advertising their ideologies and began arguing with students who disagreed, which subsequently drew a crowd.
The Gatepost’s reporters observed the pair being combative with students as the crowd grew in size throughout the day.
Eyewitnesses recalled the pair saying abortion is murder, comparing it to slavery, and encouraging students to find Jesus Christ.
Students in the crowd engaged with the pair, including freshman Nat Natarajan, who began peacefully protesting through prayer, dance, and music.
“I suggested we play copyrighted music because I didn’t want them to monetize the content because I felt uncomfortable with a lot of students being recorded in a livestream without their consent,” Natarajan said.
Natarajan put a speaker in her hat and started doing “some Hindu prayer type stuff, not exactly actual prayer, but basically, so their message could not be heard,” she said.
She alleged the pair claimed she “worshipped gay Hindu demons” in response.
In an effort to take attention away from the pair, senior Alexis Schlesinger said she brought out a drum set and began playing on the McCarthy Patio.
Schlesinger said, “I started playing and they didn’t leave, so I picked up a cymbal and I walked it over a little closer and started banging it.
“I made sure to not present myself as a threat. I’m a musician - I know how loud these things are. … My intention was to make noise,” she added.
In a video of the incident posted to the social media platform Fizz, an onlooker speaks to Polcari while Schlesinger’s cymbal is heard in the background. Shortly after, Schlesinger appears playing the instrument behind Polcari and the unidentified individual with him.
Polcari then moves toward Schlesinger and appears to reach for her cymbal. She then backs away from Polcari onto the brick crosswalk on State Street. The video shows Polcari then moving toward Schlesinger and seeming to continue reaching for her cymbal.
As Polcari approaches Schlesinger on the sidewalk, an unidentified individual appears to step between Schlesinger and Polcari.
The individual seems to hold Polcari back.
The video then shows other onlookers surrounding Polcari and grabbing the signs he is holding. As the situation appears to escalate, an FSUPD officer stands between Polcari and the students and directs the crowd to “clear out.”
FSUPD Chief of Police Philip DeBlasi said, “Officers were on scene and took actions they believed were appropriate based on the information available at the time.”
The investigation is ongoing as The Gatepost was going to press.
[ Editor’s Note: Alexis Schlesinger is the Opinion Editor of The Gatepost. During the events of Oct. 6, she was not acting in any capacity as a member of the newspaper’s staff. ]
