Local News
Matthew Freeman received one year of probation, which includes online courses on Islamophobia along with mental health and anger management assessments.
Protesters stand on Cambridge Common expressing support for Palestinians and criticizing Harvard’s position on the Gaza conflict, outside Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 25, 2025. Joseph Prezioso AFP)
January 13, 2026 | 6:26 PM
2 minutes to read
The man who threatened pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Cambridge last year using a hatchet was given a one-year probation sentence last week that requires him to take online classes about Islamophobia.
Matthew Freeman from North Billerica pleaded guilty last Tuesday to assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and a misdemeanor civil rights charge, avoiding jail time as per Cambridge District Court records.
Freeman faced charges after allegedly hitting Fawaz Abusharkh with his car and threatening protesters with what looked like a hatchet on August 10. The protest took place at Cambridge Common during an event called “Rise Up for Gaza.”
A video shared by the protest organizers shows Freeman shouting at protesters in Harvard Square using strong language where he said he would “f-ing kill” them, calling them “Nazis,” and using a homophobic insult.
The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) represented Abusharkh. They stated that Abusharkh was hit by the car door “when (Freeman) opened it to menace protesters with his axe,” according to their statement.
Court papers say Freeman’s probation will last until January 2027. He has to complete court-ordered mental health evaluations plus follow-ups and also anger management evaluations with follow-ups. He must stay away from Abusharkh and cannot possess any dangerous weapons or firearms.
The probation terms also include completing two online courses about Islamophobia through the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding.
“It seems like he just got a slap on the wrist,” said Abusharkh. “Can you imagine if the roles were reversed? If I, a Palestinian Muslim, had threatened Freeman with an axe while screaming death threats?”
‘He threatened to kill me with his axe. I hope nobody forgets that’
In his victim impact statement spanning two pages, Abusharkh described how chaotic things were and how scared he was that Freeman might really do something terrible because he seemed 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.”
Barbara Dougan, legal director at CAIR-MA, said they pushed for harsher punishment because of how serious the threats were.
“Nevertheless, we are pleased that this matter has been resolved,” Dougan added. “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.”
No response came from Freeman’s lawyer when asked for comment Tuesday evening.
Molly Farrar reports generally for Boston. com covering topics like education, politics, crime, among others.
Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
! function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) {if(f. fbq)return; n=f. fbq=function(){n. call Method? n. call Method. apply(n, arguments): n. queue. push(arguments)}; if(! f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n. push=n; n. loaded=!0; n. version=’2.0′; n. queue=[]; t=b. create Element(e); t. async=!0; t. src=v; s=b. get Elements By Tag Name(e)[0]; s. parent Node. insert Before(t, s)}(window, document,’script’, ‘https://connect. facebook. net/en_US/fbevents. js’); const onetrust Storage Consent = JSON. parse(local Storage. get Item( ‘consent_one_trust_bdc’ ) ); if ( ( onetrust Storage Consent !== null ) ) { if ( onetrust Storage Consent. C0004 !== true ) { fbq(‘consent’, ‘revoke’); fbq(‘data Processing Options’, []); } else { fbq(‘consent’, ‘grant’); fbq(‘data Processing Options’, [‘LDU’], 0, 0); } } fbq(‘track’, ‘Page View’); ! function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s){if(f. fbq)return; n=f. fbq=function() {n. call Method? n. call Method. apply(n, arguments): n. queue. push(arguments)} ; if(! f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n. push=n; n. loaded=!0; n. version=’2.0′; n. queue=[]; t=b. create Element(e); t. async=!0; t. src=v; s=b. get Elements By Tag Name(e)[0]; s. parent Node. insert Before(t, s)}(window, document,’script’,’https://connect. facebook. net/en_US/fbevents. js’); const onetrust Storage Consent = JSON. parse(local Storage. get Item( ‘consent_one_trust_bdc’ ) ); if ( ( onetrust Storage Consent !== null ) && (onetrust Storage Consent. C0004 !== true ) ) { fbq(‘consent’, ‘revoke’); fbq(‘data Processing Options’, []); } else { fbq(‘consent’, ‘grant’); fbq(‘data Processing Options’, [‘LDU’], 0 , 0); } fbq(‘track’,’Page View’);
Source link
